Harry Potter and the Serpent's Secret
by WolfsbaneKnight
Summary: [Sixth in the HP/Pokémon series]. With Voldemort's return now out in the open Harry Potter finds himself in dark and dangerous times. Struggling to overcome the death of his godfather, Harry will have to stay sharp as secrets are told, emotions rise, and plans are hatched. With everything at stake Harry must learn to become the leader he needs to be, before it is too late.
1. Horace Slughorn

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello, everyone. Welcome to the sixth instalment of my Harry Potter/Pokémon series, 'Harry Potter and the Serpent's Secret'. If you are new to this series I suggest you go visit my profile page and start off with the first instalment 'Harry Potter and the Sacred Ash'.

For those of you who have read through the previous years thank you so much for doing so. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far and I hope you continue to enjoy it now.

Without further ado let's get on to the story.

* * *

It had been a long summer.

Harry Potter, now sixteen years old, had never enjoyed his time with the Dursleys at Number Four Privet Drive. But since he first found out about Pokémon and that he had been signed up to learn at Hogwarts School of Pokémon Training it had never been this hard.

Over the years the summers spent with the Dursley family were long and torturous, only made bearable by the company of Harry's Pokémon as he so desperately craved to return to the Pokémon world.

This year was different. He still had his Pokémon, they weren't leaving him any time soon, and staying at the Dursleys had been long and torturous as always. But Harry didn't want to go back. He didn't want to do anything. For just a couple of months ago Harry had been hit with a loss so great he thought he'd never be able to recover.

The ringing of the doorbell caught his attention. There was some muffled movement, Uncle Vernon moving his sizeable bulk through the house to answer it, and then a brief exclamation. Harry did not react.

Yet, admittedly, he probably should. He could make a pretty good guess at who was at the door. If it was him he was right on time.

Heavy footfalls sounded coming up the stairs and Harry rose to his feet in preparation, stepping away from his desk. Lying on the bed, curled up snugly in his blankets, Eevee lifted his head, blinking blearily at the noise. Harry sought to put his body between the door and Eevee. He was incredibly protective of the young Pokémon.

The footsteps came to a stop for a moment, Harry imagining Uncle Vernon huffing to catch his breath outside Harry's door, before a loud banging noise sounded. That roused the other occupants of Harry's room. Talonflame, perched up on Harry's wardrobe, glared at the door before sticking his head back under his wing while Pikachu hurried to jump onto the bed to stand protectively over Eevee.

Harry answered the door.

"Yes," Harry said simply. Vernon scowled.

"There's a man at the door for you," his uncle told him, looking really quite angry. "You didn't tell us any of your type were going to be visiting." It's true, he hadn't. He hadn't really cared.

"Sorry," he said simply, insincerely. Uncle Vernon could tell. If it weren't for the Pokéballs hanging from Harry's belt he might have had something to say about it, too.

"Well, go deal with him then," Vernon barked and he stomped down the stairs. Harry followed him with his eyes, watching as the large, beefy man neared the foot of the staircase and slowed noticeably, pressing himself closely to the bannister so he could keep some distance between himself and the man standing just inside the front door. Considering the difference in size it was highly comical.

The man at the foot of the stairs didn't seem amused so much as curious, watching as Vernon backed away down the hallway and ducked into the sitting room, before he turned his head to look up the stairs. He smiled.

"Harry," he said pleasantly. "So nice to see you."

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," Harry replied respectfully, beginning to walk down the stairs. "You're right on time, sir."

"Well, I do like to think of myself as punctual," Dumbledore told him. "But it seems like my appearance was something of a surprise for poor Vernon. I take it you did not warn your relatives of my impending arrival?" Harry shook his head. "Then that explains everything." Dumbledore looked at Harry over his half-moon spectacles. "You are packed, aren't you?"

Harry hesitated. In truth he was half packed, half not. His summer had been spent in a state of idleness and, even after receiving Dumbledore's message that he would be collecting him from Privet Drive, he'd still struggled to bring himself to go through his possessions and pack them away in his trunk.

"Almost," he said eventually. "I just lost track of time." Dumbledore didn't look like he bought that. In any case he did not point out Harry's lie.

"Pika!"

Harry reacted in surprise at hearing Pikachu's cry, the Pokémon sounding slightly panicked, and the cry quickly made sense as he spotted Eevee stick his head out of Harry's door, which sat ajar. Eevee spotted him down the stairs and ran after him, jumping the steps one at a time before he, inevitably, tripped, tumbling down the remaining stairs and landing with a thump at Dumbledore's feet.

"Hello there," Dumbledore said kindly. Eevee's eyes widened and he quickly sprung to his feet, shooting behind Harry's legs for safety as he gazed uncertainly at the bearded man.

Harry lifted him into the air.

"It's alright, Eevee," Harry said softly, holding him up to his chest and exposing him completely to Dumbledore. "This is my Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. He's a good guy." Eevee looked up at Harry questioningly, as if making sure it was alright, before he turned back to Dumbledore, still nervous but now curious too.

Dumbledore chuckled. "You know, I think I may have something for a lovely little Eevee in my pocket," he said lightly and his right hand disappeared for a moment into his pocket, only to reappear with a nice orange poffin which he held out for Eevee to sniff. At the prospect of a snack Eevee's worries vanished and he leaned forward in Harry's grasp to snaffle it up.

Harry, however, was distracted by the hand.

"Professor Dumbledore?" He said warily. He'd heard the news, Ron having phoned as soon as he'd got word, but it was different seeing it in person.

"Hmm?" Dumbledore said, distracted from watching Eevee lick the tips of his fingers as he finished off the poffin in quick time. "Oh, yes, my hand. I had quite forgotten."

Harry doubted he could simply have 'forgotten'. Dumbledore's hand did not look right at all. The skin was awfully blotchy, his veins standing out stark against his skin. It looked almost dead.

"An unfortunate encounter with an Arbok, I have to say," Dumbledore told him and Harry knew Ron's story was right.

"Nagini," he said, knowing there was only one Arbok that would be attacking Albus Dumbledore. "So you really did fight him?"

"I assume you must have heard the news from Mr Weasley or Ms Granger," Dumbledore said, not really confirming the story but giving him enough doubt that he was sure he was correct. "Don't get me wrong, Harry, I would certainly tell you the tale, but I don't think here, or now, is the place to do it." Standing at the bottom of the steps of Number Four Privet Drive Harry had to agree.

"You should go upstairs and pack," Dumbledore encouraged. "The Weasleys are greatly looking forward to your arrival." Even with his deadened state the thought of seeing the Weasleys again still put a swooping feeling through his stomach.

"Okay," he said. "Eh, you can wait…" Harry looked around hopelessly. Truthfully the only place to keep Dumbledore as he packed was in Harry's room itself. He wasn't sure he wanted his Headmaster to see what a state it was in.

"I think I will join your relatives in the Sitting Room while I wait," Dumbledore said calmly. "It has been some time since I've had the chance to speak with them."

Harry had a feeling he was missing out on something, just trying to imagine the reactions of the Dursleys as Dumbledore wandered over to the sitting room, whistling a jaunty tune as he went. Harry, meanwhile, headed upstairs, Eevee protesting slightly at being taken away from Dumbledore, the man with the treats, and went about packing up his possessions.

When it came down to it there wasn't really that much still left to pack. Truthfully, when Harry returned to the Dursleys after another school year he never really unpacked in the first place. Only the essentials, some clothes and books, and Harry's supply of Pokémon food for Talonflame, Pikachu, Eevee and Charizard. He was running low on those, so there wasn't much to put back in, and once Harry had thrown in his clothes haphazardly, promising to sort them when he got to Headquarters, he moved onto the last few items, the personal belongings.

One particular belonging gave him pause. The leather bound photo album he'd received from Hagrid after his second year always found its way to a safe place under a loose floorboard in Harry's room, as he wouldn't want to run the risk of any of the Dursleys coming across it. And as Harry pulled it from its hidey hole he couldn't resist the urge to open it. He never could.

Turning the pages of the album, undoubtedly the best gift he'd ever received, he came to a stop at a picture that was most familiar. His parent's wedding day, his mother and father beaming out at him with joy in their eyes, imagining a life together that would see them until they were old and grey.

And there he stood in the background. Sirius, the cause for Harry's state of being. Just a couple of months ago he'd been the closest thing he'd had to a family. Now he too was gone, having fallen through the Veil trying to catch his trusty Gallade. Whatever lay in wait for him there, whether it be death, Giratina, or something else, didn't matter so much as the fact that never again would he be here.

"Vee?" Harry blinked, broken from his trance as Eevee nudged his hand. The tiny little Pokémon was so young, so innocent, that he didn't really understand these things. He knew Harry was sad and tried to help. And it did help. But only the naivety of youth could believe that Harry would ever be able to get back to normal.

He shut the album with a snap. He couldn't do this to himself, not while Dumbledore was waiting for him. He dropped it quickly in his trunk and sealed it shut.

"Alright, guys, time to go," he said to the three Pokémon in the room. One by one they disintegrated into red beams of energy and were sucked back to their respective Pokéballs, leaving Harry alone, fully alone, for the first time since he'd got there. The silence was uncomfortable.

Harry descended back downstairs, dragging his trunk behind him, and even though the trunk was no doubt making plenty of noise Dumbledore did not come out to meet him. And so, leaving his trunk by the front door, Harry entered the sitting room.

"Chime!"

Harry had barely stepped through the doorway before he was noticed, not by the Dursleys or Dumbledore, but by Dumbledore's Chimecho. The psychic type Pokémon floated over to him eagerly, wrapping her tail around his arm in a familiar affectionate gesture, and let out another cheerful cry.

"Hey Chimecho," Harry smiled. It was good to see the Pokémon again. Though Chimecho was Dumbledore's Pokémon and she stayed with Dumbledore just like his Alakazam, Dragonite, and Gryffindor's Aegislash, she had come to take a liking for him, starting when they'd battled side by side to try and protect the Sacred Ash from Voldemort.

"I see you've made good time, Harry," Dumbledore commented with a smile. "Chimecho was quite desperate to see you. Had you been gone much longer she'd no doubt have gone searching for you herself."

"I missed you too, Chimecho," Harry told her. She beamed. "So, Professor, are we, eh, going?" Harry nodded towards the front door. Dumbledore's expression shifted imperceptibly.

"Not quite yet, Harry," Dumbledore told him. "I was hoping to have a few words with your aunt and uncle before we left. Please stay standing, I won't be long." Harry shifted uncomfortably. This didn't sound good.

The Dursleys seemed to be thinking the same thing. They were all sitting down, Vernon in his armchair, Petunia and Dudley side by side on the settee, and they looked as though they'd been sitting in stunned silence since Dumbledore had first walked into the room.

"So," Vernon blustered, pulling himself together and sitting up straight. "What do you have to say? Spit it out." He fixed a glare at Dumbledore, clearly attempting to intimidate him. That was never going to work.

"I was going to say that soon Harry will no longer be staying here," Dumbledore said smoothly, ignoring Uncle Vernon's bluster. "I am taking him to stay with the Weasleys for the rest of the summer and then he will return briefly next summer until his seventeenth birthday. In the Pokémon world seventeen marks the age of adulthood and on that day Harry will no longer have any requirement to stay here, and judging by what I can gather from your relationship, no reason to want to."

"Well, fine," Vernon blustered. "Good riddance. We'll be well shot of him." Vernon threw a nasty look at Harry but Harry found he didn't even care. The Dursleys had long since lost any sort of moral authority over him. It would be good riddance for him too.

"And I imagine you'll be quite pleased," Dumbledore said placidly though his voice held a certain edge to it. "What I have to say is not so much aimed at you, Vernon, for I doubt you care for Harry any more than for any other child…"

"Less, even," Harry muttered.

"… but rather I put it to you, Petunia, to take a good hard look at yourself once we've left," Dumbledore continued without pause. He fixed Petunia Dursley with a piercing look. "When I left Harry with you those many years ago I asked of you to raise Harry as though he were your own son. You did not do this. If I didn't know better I'd say you didn't even try."

"Well, why should she?" Vernon argued. "He's not her kid. That's not down to her to pick up after him."

"The lengths in which you have gone to treat Harry and your own son differently were not right, nor fair for either of the two boys," Dumbledore continued, ignoring Vernon. "In Harry it just so happens that your treatment has been outweighed by the love and acceptance of others, and the strength of will of the boy himself. For your son it will be even harder for him to heal from the burdens you've placed on him. You have, in your quest to forget your sister, taught him nothing but morals of weakness and how to live life as nothing more than a bully, and a lout."

"I say this, Petunia, because it is not too late. You can change your ways and if you truly care for your son then you should do it now, while he is still impressionable enough to learn and before his beliefs become set and unyielding." Dumbledore stood up.

"It's entirely possible that this may be the last time we meet," he said, looking down on Petunia and continuing to ignore a spluttering Vernon and a confused Dudley. "I must admit that the thought does not fill me with sadness, but for what could have been had you allowed yourself to face your past and become a better woman for it." Dumbledore stopped. He turned to Harry.

"I think it is time we head off," he said lightly, though his expression was still steely. Harry nodded mutely.

As Dumbledore walked past him towards the front door Harry looked out over the Dursleys. Vernon was apoplectic, ranting silently to himself as his face went puce. Petunia, by contrast, was as white as a ghost. And Dudley, sitting next to her and looking somewhat pale himself, looked up at Harry and nervously waved a hand. Harry nodded.

Upon leaving the sitting room he found Dumbledore waiting for him, having somehow opened the front door and carried his trunk over the threshold in the few moments Harry hadn't been looking. He waited patiently for Harry to follow, closing the front door behind him, before he reached down to his belt.

"I think the best form of transport would be teleportation, in this case," Dumbledore said, his voice now back to normal. His Alakazam appeared beside him and then, a moment later, disappeared, along with Harry's trunk. "We'll just send that ahead to the Burrow."

"The Burrow, sir?" Harry asked. "We're not staying at Headquarters?"

"No, unfortunately that isn't much of a possibility at the moment," Dumbledore admitted. "With the war now officially started the efforts of the Legion have been redoubled, as has our membership. Had you been staying there you would have found yourself horrendously out of space, and the Weasley family residence is unknown to those who would wish to attack, though security has been greatly increased."

Harry didn't believe him. While he was sure that Headquarters was busy, and that the Burrow was as safe as they could make it, Harry knew why he wasn't going back to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. That's where Sirius had lived.

He didn't say anything though, appreciating Dumbledore's attempt to move past the delicate subject, and as he mused Alakazam reappeared, trunk free, and before Harry had time to blink Privet Drive disappeared from view.

Where they had arrived was not the Burrow

"I'm afraid I have not been quite truthful with you, Harry," Dumbledore said with a quiet chuckle. Alakazam had disappeared once more. "I am, of course, taking you to the Weasleys, but I do have one other stop I need to make tonight. One I believe you can be of help with. Would you mind so terribly?"

Harry shook his head, wondering what Dumbledore could be talking about. But it was Dumbledore, it couldn't possibly be dangerous. Still, as Harry fell into step beside Dumbledore his gaze fell back on his injured hand.

"So what happened with you and Voldemort?" Harry asked, somewhat boldly considering this was Albus Dumbledore he was talking too. "All I heard was that you got into a fight and were hurt."

"Well, that indeed is the most of it, if I'll be perfectly honest with you," Dumbledore admitted. "Through an incredible stroke of circumstance Lord Voldemort and myself happened to be in the same remote village in the English countryside at the same time and I was unlucky enough to spot him last. I believe his Arbok was no doubt going for the throat but my hand was an equally effective target and I was forced to make a hasty get away."

"So you didn't really fight him?" Harry questioned. He felt a bit childish thinking it but Dumbledore's story had been rather disappointing. Dumbledore smiled.

"Well, we did exchange a few blows," Dumbledore admitted. "But with Nagini being at a disadvantage against Alakazam and my health at risk should I not get medical attention immediately neither of us were in a position to try and push for victory. I had Alakazam teleport me out at the first opportunity and through Professor Snape's expertise with poisons I was in a stable condition in a matter of hours." Despite the upbeat way Dumbledore spoke Harry had to be worried by what he'd heard. "Here we are."

They'd come to a stop at a house, completely indistinguishable from the many others on the street they'd been walking, but one that Dumbledore seemed to recognise. He pushed open the gate.

"I'm sorry, sir, but where are we?" Harry asked. Though he knew Dumbledore had an errand to run this street was just as un-Pokémon as Privet Drive.

"My apologies, I should have said," Dumbledore responded politely. "This, Harry, is the charming village of Bubbly Babbington. Quiet, affluent, and without a Pokémon trainer registered in its small to middling population."

"So why are we here?" Harry asked curiously.

"Because not all Pokémon trainers are registered," Dumbledore said with a conspiratorial wink. Then he pulled up short. "Ah," he said worriedly. "That is not a good sign at all."

They had reached the front door and had found that there was one very big difference between this house and the others. The front door was ajar. Dumbledore reached out a hand and gently pushed. It creaked as it opened.

"What do you think happened?" Harry asked quietly. The house beyond was silent, and dark. There did not seem to be any movement, not even from a small breeze.

"Something bad, by the looks of it," Dumbledore muttered, gazing downwards. As Harry followed his gaze he spied a small table, lying on the floor. A porcelain ornament lay cracked a few feet away. "Stay close, Harry, and keep Charizard at the ready." And he stepped inside.

Harry followed after him silently, his hand, as instructed, grasping Charizard's Pokéball. Walking into the house nothing jumped out at him. As he stepped forward the only things he saw were more darkness. Up ahead Dumbledore walked on.

"Hmm," he said, kneeling down to the ground. Looking over his shoulder Harry noticed that the floor in the room beyond, clearly the kitchen, was strewn with cutlery, though it was hard to know just where it'd been knocked from. Had the person living here been preparing for dinner when they were attacked?

"Curious," Dumbledore muttered, straightening up again, a frown on his face. That was one word for it. "This is very unusual indeed."

"Do you think anyone is still here?" Harry asked, glancing into the dining room as he passed. "Maybe they need our help."

"Oh, I'm quite sure that there's someone here," Dumbledore said, walking past Harry and through another door, entering into a small sitting room. "And though they won't admit it they very much need my help." He looked around curiously, before nodding.

"Chimecho," Dumbledore called, the friendly wind chime Pokémon appearing beside him. "Would you be a dear and use Astonish." So politely had Dumbledore ordered the attack that Harry wasn't ready for the horrendous blast that followed. Chimecho screamed at the top of her voice, Harry clutching his hands to his ears in agony as she cried, but his biggest surprise was still to come.

"Stop! Stop! Please! I beg you!" Harry's eyes opened wide as, as though from nowhere, the figure of a man, short, plump and balding, appeared standing behind the overturned armchair, a Grumpig standing by his side and covering his ears too. Dumbledore motioned for Chimecho to calm down.

"Good evening, Horace," Dumbledore said pleasantly. Was this the man Dumbledore was looking for?

The man, Horace, huffed.

"Good, Dumbledore?" he said. "Disastrous. After all this time keeping a low profile, moving from house to house, and now you come and show up and find me just like that. How even did you know I was still here?"

"Oh, it wasn't too difficult," Dumbledore said easily. "You haven't been to many crime scenes, Horace. Your attempts to throw me off, the armchair, the knives in the kitchen, were so obviously staged, though I admit I was worried when I saw the broken porcelain figure."

"Yes, that was a mistake," Horace said regretfully. "I was in such a hurry I didn't know it was there when I tipped the table. And such a beautiful thing it was. I'll have to make sure to glue it back together, though it'll never regain its old perfection."

"It is good to know you are still the same old Horace Slughorn I have always known and loved," Dumbledore chuckled. Slughorn scowled.

"Exactly, I have not changed," he said sharply. "And I will not, I repeat, will not, return to teach at Hogwarts. I'm past it, can't deal with the pressure. Just let me enjoy my retirement."

"And such an enjoyable retirement it is," Dumbledore commented. "I assume the owners do not know you are living in their house."

"No one knows," Slughorn said, and a little proudly at that. "The people here are visiting the Canary Islands. Two weeks. Though, unfortunately, I can't let my guard down. The neighbours, you see, they'll notice my presence if I'm not careful. Can't turn on any of the lights, except the bathroom, thank goodness, and got to restrict myself to the curtained rooms at the back of the house during the daytime. It's not easy, but I manage."

"Admirably so," Dumbledore agreed. "And I have no doubt you will continue to manage, being the resourceful Slytherin that you are. But why? At Hogwarts you would have permanent living quarters, inside one of the most well-defended buildings in the country."

"And under the authority of the leader of the Legion of Ho-oh," Slughorn pointed out. "You know it's dangerous to be associated with you, Albus. People die, those who aren't as strong as some. And I know my qualities, Albus, I am not strong."

"Maybe not in a battling sense," Dumbledore agreed. "But I've always believed you to be strong of heart. After all, as Head of Slytherin House you were held up as righteous, honourable and fair to all four of the houses."

"Well, each house has their qualities," Slughorn admitted.

"And you see them," Dumbledore pointed out. "That is not a common trait, Horace, but one that makes for an excellent teacher."

There was silence for a moment, Dumbledore and Slughorn appearing to be at a stalemate as they watched each other, neither of them budging. Harry shifted uncomfortably. He really had no clue what was going on. Dumbledore, catching the movement in the corner of his eye, smiled.

"Oh, where are my manners," he said smoothly, turning to face Harry and causing Slughorn to notice him for the first time too. "This, Harry, is Horace Slughorn, an old colleague of mine who, you might have guessed, I am trying to convince to rejoin us at Hogwarts. Horace, this is Harry Potter, a soon to be Gryffindor sixth year and your student, should you accept the post." Slughorn blinked.

"Potter," he repeated. He wiped at his eyes and stared. "Good lord, so he is. He looks just like his father."

"Except for the eyes," Dumbledore commented with a smile. "In better lighting you would see that they are exactly like Lily's."

"Lily," Slughorn repeated. "Lily Evans." Harry was confused. Just what was so significant about his mum that Dumbledore had called her by her first name? It didn't seem like Slughorn was going to tell him.

"Professor Slughorn was Head of Slytherin House back when your parents were at Hogwarts, Harry," Dumbledore explained for him. "Horace has never hidden that he has his favourites and it just so happened that your mother was one of them."

"Of course I play favourites, Dumbledore, we all do," Slughorn told him off. "Just take a look at some of your students and ask if anyone could possibly like them. And you yourself, bringing the boy here."

"I am transferring Harry to some of his friends for the remainder of the holidays," Dumbledore said simply. "It just so happened my sources found you here just as I was due to collect him. Indeed, quite a coincidence." Slughorn looked like he didn't believe a word of it.

"Do you mind if I use the bathroom?" Dumbledore asked, out of the blue. Slughorn blinked.

"Eh, yes, up the stairs and to the left," he said. "You can't miss it. Just be careful with the flush, Albus, it can take awhile."

"Much obliged." And Professor Dumbledore left, leaving Harry and Slughorn standing in silence.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading this first chapter of Serpent's Secret. I hope you enjoyed it.

At the end of Legion of Ho-oh I asked about whether or not to continue with the question of the day feature I was using and from the responses it seems clear that none of you are too concerned about it one way or the other and only want me to do what I feel most comfortable with.

On that note I will not be continuing the question of the day in its current form. However I will endeavour to answer all the questions that were suggested over the time it has been running and if you ever have a question you'd like me to answer let me know and I'll give my opinion on it.

For this chapter I'll cover two related questions.

Question 1:

 _DelugeLeader 666 :- ...If you were a Pokémon, what would you be? If you wish to say why, be my guests._

For me if I had to pick a Pokémon that most accurately describes me it would have to be Abra. I am very smart, much like the psychic type, but I am also unfortunately very lazy and like my sleep more than is really practical, again much like Abra.

And for the second question.

Question 2:

 _DelugeLeader 666 :- ...If you were a normal type Pokémon, not including Arceus, what would you be._

For the record I would not have chosen Arceus, even if I was allowed the choice. I don't think that much of myself.

To answer the question was a little tricky as normal types have never been among my favourite but I eventually was able to land on Stantler as my answer. I don't have a particular affinity with reindeer but in the case of Stantler I like the ability it has to create illusions with its horns. I naturally like to avoid conflict in general and so I appreciate the ability to use distraction and more subtle methods to avoid aggressive encounters, even if I would be decently capable of fighting if I had to. I just much prefer diffusing a situation rather than letting it come to blows and Stantler's ability would be great for doing just that.

So those are my answers to these questions. If you would like then please feel free to leave a review with your own answers. Otherwise I'll see you all in the next chapter.


	2. Slughorn's Riddle

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The clock on the mantlepiece ticked loudly.

"Excuse me, Professor Slughorn," Harry said suddenly, Slughorn jumping as he spoke. "Can I ask you something?" Slughorn looked uncertain.

"Sure," he said hesitantly, as though preparing to rescind the invitation at any moment.

"How were you hiding?" Harry asked. "I didn't see you when I walked in to the room. You just seemed to appear." He'd never seen anything like it.

Slughorn looked surprised to hear his question, and no small part relieved. He chuckled.

"Oh, that," he said. "That's an old trick, one that doesn't see much use these days. You see, psychic type Pokémon, like my Grumpig here, have some incredible power. In fact I sometimes think human imagination is the only thing that holds them back." He chuckled again. "Anyway, one of the more well known, if not so well used, tricks is the ability to create false reality."

"False reality?" Harry questioned. Slughorn nodded.

"Humans have five senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste," Slughorn explained. "What psychic type Pokémon can do is they can replicate the impulses of these sense and create these pockets of space behind which they cannot be seen, touched, smelled, heard or even tasted within. It's almost as though they remove the area they are attempting to hide and allow the context of the surroundings to fill in the blanks. So, for example, when you and Dumbledore walked in you thought the room empty. But I was there, hidden in my little pocket, and thanks to Grumpig here I can use it to hide myself in any tricky situation." His eyes wandered to the door. "Although it seems not when it comes to Dumbledore."

But Harry wasn't paying attention to him. Instead his eyes were glued on Slughorn's Grumpig.

"Have I met you before?" He asked. The Grumpig looked surprised, jumping and then looking at Harry more closely. Its eyes widened.

"It is you," Harry said, amazed. "You were the Grumpig Dumbledore had guarding the Sacred Ash." Grumpig nodded, letting out a happy grunting sound and crossing the room quickly, taking hold of Harry's hands in his own and bouncing up and down.

"Oh, eh," Slughorn looked awkward. "Sacred Ash? You know what that is?" Harry nodded.

"Voldemort tried to steal it in my first year," Harry explained, noting how Slughorn flinched at the name. "A couple of friends went with me to stop him." Harry turned back to Grumpig. "By the way, thanks for getting Hermione out safely." Grumpig looked very pleased with himself. Harry turned back to Slughorn.

"So did you lend Grumpig to Dumbledore?" Harry asked, confused. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with Hogwarts."

"Yes, well, it was for a good cause," Slughorn responded.

"Isn't teaching a good cause?" Harry countered. Slughorn looked uncomfortable.

"Yes, yes, it is, I wouldn't have made a career out of it if it weren't," Slughorn admitted. "But that was a different time, a time of peace. And now You-know-who is back and if I join the Hogwarts staff there'll be a target on my back."

"But you'll be safe at Hogwarts," Harry said. "And wouldn't Dumbledore be better equipped to beat Voldemort if he knows that the students are all safe in your care?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Slughorn said. "Albus is really getting on, you know. He's no spring chicken and time catches up to even the best of us. Look at me." He patted his rotund belly, giving Harry a significant look.

"He's still strong, though," Harry told him. "Stronger than anyone I've ever met. He fought Voldemort off not that long ago."

"Yes, I had heard about the showdown in the Ministry," Slughorn admitted. "Of course I always believed that he was back from the moment you and Dumbledore said he was. But from then on I was doubly cautious."

"You wouldn't have to be," Harry told him. "I don't know why you are hiding from him so much, why you think he wants you so badly, but I can assure you he wants me more. And I'm staying at Hogwarts. So if you are ever worried about your safety at the castle just remember if Voldemort really takes over he'll be coming for me first." Slughorn looked aghast.

"Merlin's beard, Harry, don't go saying things like that," he said, shocked. "That's no way to think for a sixteen year old boy. What would Lily say?"

"Voldemort tried to kill me when I was a year old, Professor," Harry said calmly. "If he doesn't care about my age then I can't." He paused. "And as for what my mother would say, sir, I think you would know better than I."

There was a dead silence at Harry's words, only interrupted by the telltale flush of a toilet. A few moments later Dumbledore came wandering down the steps.

"Ah, just what the doctor ordered," he said cheerfully as he walked into the room.

"You, eh, feeling better, Dumbledore," Slughorn said anxiously. "You were up there for quite a long time."

"Never better," Dumbledore told him with a smile. "I found some quite fascinating magazines that aroused my interest. It is the simple things in life, you see."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Slughorn replied. He seemed to understand.

Harry yawned.

"I suppose it would probably be for the best that we take our leave then," Dumbledore commented, noting Harry's tiredness. "I will just make one last offer to you Horace. Won't you please come back to Hogwarts to teach." Slughorn shifted.

"Well," he said, considering, and Harry was surprised. He'd thought he'd been dead against it. "I must admit you are starting to get to me Dumbledore. Mind, I value my own safety, but this is getting quite… tiring." He sighed.

"Alright then," he said. "I'll take it. You've twisted my arm, Dumbledore."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said brightly. "Then I will see you on September the first. I'm sure you haven't forgotten how to reach Hogwarts after all these years." Slughorn waved him away.

"Enough of your teasing," he told him. "I'm not coming back for free you know. I want a pay rise. And my old office again."

"That we can do," Dumbledore said amicably.

"And everything better be exactly where it used to be," Slughorn threatened.

"I will do my best," Dumbledore said. "Otherwise please feel free to bring it up with our in-house Machoke team. Let's go, Harry. After you." Harry hesitated slightly on leaving, Slughorn looking quite put out that they were doing so and Grumpig looking even more so. Harry waved goodbye to the Pokémon, nodded politely to his future professor, and then wandered down the hallway. A moment later he was back outside and Dumbledore was closing the door gently behind them.

"Well, I think that went rather well, don't you," Dumbledore said lightly. Harry nodded.

"You did a good job convincing him," Harry told the headmaster. "I didn't think he was willing to take the job."

"Oh, it is not I who should be taking credit," Dumbledore told him. "It was you, Harry, who showed him the way forward."

"Me, sir?" Harry frowned. Dumbledore nodded.

"What you said to him had the most miraculous effect, one that I would never have been able to draw out in Horace even if I tried for a year," Dumbledore said. "You showed him exactly why he had to come back, and you did it without even trying."

"I don't understand, sir," Harry said as they continued to walk. Slughorn's safe house was disappearing into the distance behind them now and though Harry thought Dumbledore was going to take him to the Weasleys they remained travelling by foot.

"The thing you must understand about Horace Slughorn is that, like any other Slytherin, he is ambitious, but unlike most he never wanted that power for himself," Dumbledore told him. "Rather Horace liked to surround himself with powerful people, people in the know and that could grant him favours and heads ups to allow him to live a comfortable life. You heard how he cleanly admitted to playing favourites and that your mother was one of them, your father too if he'd taken the time to interact with the professor outside of classes. It is not the most morally appropriate behaviour but Professor Slughorn has always had a talent for spotting students with something special about them and then hooking them up with connections that allowed their potential to flourish."

"And that's where we get to the crux of the matter," Dumbledore said sadly. "Because fifty years ago Professor Slughorn taught at Hogwarts, and back then he had his favourites, and one in particular. Tom Riddle."

"Voldemort?" Harry gasped. "Professor Slughorn taught Voldemort?"

"Yes, he did," Dumbledore said. "And like nearly everyone who knew him then he did not suspect what would later become of the boy. He was polite, handsome, and as we know very talented. He was also charming, and Professor Slughorn was there to be charmed."

"So you see why Horace has been so wary since Voldemort's return," Dumbledore continued. "He's one of the few who is able to connect Lord Voldemort to young, handsome Tom Riddle and was, I suspect, Voldemort's favourite teacher. The one who gave him privilege and opportunities to succeed even while still at Hogwarts. And that, ultimately, is why Horace agreed to come back."

"He felt guilty," Harry caught on. "Guilty for not recognising what Tom Riddle was."

"And you reminded him quite well of the consequences of allowing Tom Riddle to grow to become Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore told him. "I told you your mother was one of Slughorn's favourites. In fact she was perhaps his favourite of them all. He was taken by her vivacity, her brilliance and her kindness and her unwillingness to stand by in the face of injustice. And like many, when she died a little of himself died with her, and not only did he mourn the loss but he blamed himself too."

"He shouldn't," Harry muttered quietly. "It wasn't his fault."

"And neither was it yours," Dumbledore said. They were no longer talking about his parents. "Losing someone you love is the hardest thing you will ever have to deal with Harry, and it is even harder when you fool yourself that you are to blame. Do not think that there is anyone responsible for Sirius's death other than those who perpetrated it."

Harry couldn't speak. Not about this. His eyes prickled dangerously and he fought back hard. He had not cried since returning to Privet Drive.

Harry cleared his throat, determined to change the subject. "Are we not going to the Weasleys, sir?" Dumbledore smiled sadly.

"We're already here."

Harry looked up. Sure enough he and Dumbledore were standing at the end of a long dirt track, the upper floors of the Weasley household just visible through the trees. But that was impossible, they couldn't possibly have walked there. There was only one village close to the Burrow, Ottery St Catchpole. How had they done it?

"You were quite distracted," Dumbledore told him, continuing the walk up the dirt track. "You didn't even notice Alakazam Teleport us up here." He hadn't. Teleportation was smooth and unnoticeable, so long as you weren't paying attention.

Harry hurried after Dumbledore, the older man's long strides taking him swiftly across the ground to the Burrow. Looking up Harry could see that most of the rooms were dark and he pondered how late it was. Night had already fallen by the time Dumbledore had arrived at Privet Drive and a lot of time had passed since then.

As they passed the Weasley family's vehicles, the beaten up blue Ford Anglia and the more often used minivan, Dumbledore pulled him to a stop, the minivan blocking their view of the house.

"I will not be staying long here and before I go I have something I wish to discuss with you," Dumbledore told him seriously. "You may have noticed that we have now entered a state of all out warfare and now there is no more time to hold off. Throughout the course of your next year at Hogwarts I will be tutoring you so you are more prepared for what lies ahead." Harry's pulse quickened.

"Tutoring me, sir?" He said. "Like private lessons? What will you be teaching me?"

"You will find out soon enough," Dumbledore said simply. "In the meantime I don't want you to think too much about it. You have a lot coming up, what with the new school year approaching, and if I'm not very much mistaken your exam results should be arriving soon. You've got some big decisions ahead." Dumbledore straightened up.

"But for now let's not worry about that," he said brightly. "It looks like we have some people still up and if I know Molly she will be most anxious to see you." Dumbledore led Harry from behind the minivan, approached the Weasleys front door, and knocked.

"Who's there?" The sharp voice of Mrs Weasley responded.

"It is I, Dumbledore, bringing Harry," Dumbledore announced and no sooner had he done so than the door swung open.

"Harry, dear!" Mrs Weasley cried, throwing her arms around him quickly. "How are you? Quick, come inside, you look dead on your feet." Harry didn't argue as Mrs Weasley hurried him through the door and into the Weasleys' sitting room.

"Ah, Harry, so great to see you." Mr Weasley was sitting in his favourite armchair, looking incredibly comfortable, but as Harry walked in he rose stiffly to his feet. "How have you been, my boy?"

As Harry answered with 'fine' and shook Mr Weasley's hand he took notice of the balding, red-haired man's appearance. On the surface he looked healthy, colour in his cheeks and his belly jutting out just enough to indicate he'd had plenty of Mrs Weasley's fine cooking, but there was a definite uncomfortableness about the way he held himself. Harry was not surprised. Just last Christmas Mr Weasley had been the victim of a brutal attack by none other than Nagini and had been hospitalised for some time before a counter venom was found. But looking at Mr Weasley now made Harry wonder about Dumbledore. Mr Weasley had never shown such physical decay as was present in Dumbledore's hand. Also Mr Weasley had not been able to get treatment for some time as his Typhlosion tried to sound the alarm while Dumbledore had had the benefit of Snape, who was arguably more qualified to deal with this type of wound than the healers at St Mungo's. Perhaps Dumbledore's advanced age had more of an effect than Harry had first realised.

Speaking of Dumbledore he was just insisting to Mrs Weasley that he could not stay the night.

"I must get back to Hogwarts," he told her. "With the new school year approaching there is lots to do."

"Won't you just stay for some tea, Albus?" Mrs Weasley begged. Dumbledore smiled.

"Molly, I'd like nothing more," he told her genuinely. "But I'm afraid duty calls and I must away. Arthur." He nodded respectfully to Mr Weasley. "Harry, I will see you soon enough." And then out came Alakazam and he was gone.

Mrs Weasley sighed.

"That man," she said. "Never stops working, and at his age it's a miracle he's still going."

"Must be genetics," Mr Weasley said with a chuckle. "His brother Aberforth is still going strong too. He's younger, of course, but not by much." He yawned.

"My, it's getting late," he commented, looking at the grandfather clock sitting by the fireplace. "The kids are all in bed already. Ron tried to stay up but then I beat him at chess and he realised that perhaps sleep was for the best." Harry understood. No one could beat Ron at chess, not unless he was suitably distracted. It seemed sleep deprivation did the trick.

"You should get to bed, Harry," Mrs Weasley told him firmly, as if daring him to argue. "You've had a long day." Harry just nodded in agreement.

"Am I in Ron's room?" Harry asked. It's where he'd always stayed before.

"Not this time," Mrs Weasley said. "Fred and George haven't been staying here for a while now so their bedroom is free, and not as far up as Ron's is so you don't have to worry too much about getting your trunk up there."

"Here, Harry, why don't I take it for you," Mr Weasley said, lifting Harry's heavy trunk into his arms and swaying dangerously.

"Why don't I take one end, Mr Weasley?" Harry said quickly, moving forward to take some of the weight and prevent the older man from toppling over. "And you can take the other."

"Good idea, Harry," Mr Weasley said, his face not visible behind the end of the trunk as he struggled with his grip on the handle. "Let's go."

The journey to Fred and George's room wasn't easy. Harry's trunk, difficult enough to manoeuvre normally, was even more troublesome when you took into account the tight corners of the Burrow's staircase and the awkwardness of carrying it between two people. Fortunately Fred and George's room was only on the second floor, as opposed to the fifth where Ron stayed, and Harry and Mr Weasley were soon able to dump it down by one of the beds. Mr Weasley, gasping for breath, sat down.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked worriedly. Mr Weasley held up a hand, begging for a moment.

"Just fine, Harry," he said, still gasping for breath. "Just give me a moment." After a few minutes Mr Weasley's breathing started to even out again. He let out a sigh.

"Sorry about that," he said apologetically. "My stamina is yet to get back to its old ways since the attack. It's the medication, you see. Keeps back the venom but takes up a lot of energy in the process."

"Isn't there something they can do?" Harry asked anxiously. Mr Weasley smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll figure out something eventually," he said confidently. "They managed to save me, after all." He looked around the room. "Sorry about all the boxes, Fred and George haven't completely moved out yet."

"Yes, I heard about that," said Harry. "Ron said they'd started their own business."

"They sell joke products," Mr Weasley told him. "Their own inventions. Molly isn't particularly pleased but I've got to admit it's ingenious, and Fred and George have gone about this very professionally. They got Percy involved to help with all the red tape and patenting and even struck a deal with the post office for the use of their delivery system. They've already made some money, though they are staying with Lee Jordan for now until they can afford their own place. I think their ultimate plan is to open a shop. Brilliant, isn't it."

Harry agreed. He'd heard most of this over the phone from Ron but it was still incredible to see the success the twins had had even in the short time since they'd graduated from Hogwarts. They hadn't even received the results of their SPAs yet.

"Well, I should be letting you get some rest," Mr Weasley told him, standing up. "I'm sure you'll find yourself rather busy in the morning. Oh, and be careful with the boxes. No one knows exactly what's in there but knowing those two you should be cautious."

"I will be," Harry promised with a smile.

"Alright then. Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Mr Weasley," Harry replied and Mr Weasley closed the door behind him, leaving Harry alone.

The uncomfortable feeling he'd felt earlier in the night, when he'd found himself alone in his bedroom at Privet Drive, did not immediately reappear and Harry marvelled in that momentarily.

But maybe it was just because he was so tired, he thought sleepily as his eyes started to droop. Not even bothering to change Harry lay down on the bed by the window and as soon as his head touched the pillow he was fast asleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

Todays question is more on the topic of Harry Potter than Pokémon and is shown below.

 _DelugeLeader 666 :- ... what character do you think you relate to/other people say you're like the most?_

For me this is easily Remus Lupin. I relate to his quiet demeanour and his un-confrontational manner, along with his obvious intelligence and goodwill towards other people. He has his problems and I find it very easy to relate to his sense of embarrassment and his lack of self worth due to something that isn't his fault and doesn't make him a worse person.

Anyway, who do you most relate to in the HP universe? Let me know in the reviews and I'll see you in the next chapter.


	3. Slowpoke

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

It seemed like just a matter of moments before Harry was rudely woken by the loud bang of Fred and George's bedroom door swinging open.

"Harry! There you are." Harry blinked blearily, looking up at the large indistinct figure towering over his bed, a mop of flaming red hair standing out in the sunlight streaming through the bedroom window.

"Honestly, Ron, I told you to knock," Hermione Granger's voice drifted into the room behind him before the girl herself appeared at his side. "He looks exhausted."

"I am awake, you know," Harry grumbled and he pushed himself up into a sitting position, the covers falling away. He was still dressed, and now that he was awake he was beginning to regret not having taken the time to change last night. His jeans had cut a line into his hip. "And I am tired. What time is it?"

"About nine o'clock," Hermione told him as his eyes started to get used to the light. "Mrs Weasley told us you were staying in here and of course Ron couldn't help himself."

"What?" Ron said defensively. "I hadn't seen him all summer."

"And neither had I but I knew he would need some rest. You must have got in very late."

"I suppose," Harry told her. "I didn't really check the time but Dumbledore didn't take me straight here."

"He didn't?" Hermione asked, surprised. Harry shook his head.

"He took me to visit some old colleague of his, Professor Slughorn," Harry told her. "He wanted to convince him out of retirement."

"And did he?" Ron asked. Harry nodded. "Guess we know who our new Pokémon Battling Professor is, don't we."

"What is he like?" Hermione asked interestedly. "Did he seem like a good teacher?"

"Can't be worse than Umbridge," Ron pointed out.

"Definitely," Harry agreed. Professor Umbridge, if she even deserved the title 'professor', had been the most horrible person Harry had ever met. Even Lockhart had been a better teacher, useless and cowardly though he was.

"I don't really know too much about Slughorn," Harry told his friends. "He was Head of Slytherin in his day but Dumbledore said he was always very fair to the other houses."

"Doubt it," Ron challenged.

"Dumbledore did say he liked to play favourites," Harry admitted. "So did Slughorn, as a matter of fact." Hermione frowned.

"Well, that's not very good," she said worriedly. "In fact I'd say that's rather unfair."

"Dumbledore said he had a talent for picking out students with a lot of potential," Harry told her. "I imagine he'll definitely like you. Apparently my mum was one of his favourites. But potential isn't always good."

Harry was going to tell them about Voldemort and how he and Professor Slughorn were connected but at that moment there was a knock at the door.

"Eh," said Harry. Nobody ever knocked in the Weasley household. "Come in." And perhaps the last person Harry had expected walked into the room.

"'Arry, it 'as been too long," Fleur Delacour said with a smile, looking breathtakingly beautiful as always, and holding a tray filled with breakfast to add to the picture.

"Fleur?" Harry replied, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I am with Bill, of course," she told him and immediately Harry felt stupid. Over the last Christmas holiday Harry had met Fleur at St Mungo's hospital, the first time he'd seen her since the end of the Tri-Pokémon Tournament. Back then she had been dating the eldest Weasley child and it seemed they were still going strong.

"Mrs Weasley asked me to bring you some breakfast," Fleur told him, sweeping across the room to place the tray in his lap.

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully, feeling very hungry all of a sudden. He frowned, his eyes catching a glint of something in the sunlight, and then his eyes widened. "Fleur, is that…?"

Fleur smiled, a beautifully open honest laugh bursting free as she tossed her hair back, straightening up and raising her hand to his face. On her finger glinted a beautiful ring.

"You're engaged?" Harry asked, unable to believe it. Beside him both Ron and Hermione were looking very amused, undoubtedly already having heard, but Harry was too shocked to care. "To Bill, right?" Fleur laughed.

"Yes, to Bill," she told him with an amused tone. "'e asked just before his brothers arrived 'ome."

"Wow," Harry said, starting to calm down a bit but still amazed. "Congratulations. When's the wedding?"

"Next summer, I think," Fleur said thoughtfully. "We want Bill's 'ole family to be there, and of course you too, 'arry."

"Mrs Weasley is already trying to settle on a date," Hermione told him. "She's so excited that one of her sons is finally getting married."

"Though I think she would prefer if it was to someone else," Fleur spoke up. Hermione shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, Fleur, she's just very protective," Hermione told her. "No one will be good enough for her sons."

"At least not for Bill," Ron interjected. "I don't think mum's got as high hopes for Fred and George, though."

"Oh," Hermione said, shaking her head in frustration. "Don't even get her started on that. I don't think she'll ever approve of what they're doing. Though I have to admit they do seem ideally suited for it."

"So how are you, Fleur?" Harry asked, ignoring the conversation about Fred and George. "How are you enjoying Britain?"

"Oh, it iz very different," Fleur said with a smile. "Ze food iz not so good but I am 'aving a great time, especially with Bill. I 'ave been keeping up to date with what iz going on in ze continent, though. Viktor has contacted me."

"Really?" Harry asked. "How is he?" Last time Harry had seen Viktor Krum he had been returning to Durmstrang without his headmaster, Igor Karkaroff having arranged the kidnapping of Harry and Cedric Diggory off Hogwarts grounds to spark the revival of Lord Voldemort. From what Harry had heard his own country had never settled in peace as Pokémon Britain had.

"He iz struggling," Fleur admitted. "It iz a 'ard task he iz left with and it 'as got worse since You-know-who has revealed 'imself. And Karkaroff iz organising ze Death Eater forces. Zer iz a lot of bad blood." Harry grimaced. It seemed the positivity Krum had left with was being put to the test.

"Well, I should be getting back downstairs," Fleur said. "Eat, and I shall see you later."

"Bye," Harry said as Fleur walked to the door and disappeared out of sight. There was silence in the room.

Ron let out a low whistle. "Man, that's one fine looking woman." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"That is your brother's fiancée," Hermione pointed out.

"I know," said Ron. "Lucky bastard." Hermione sighed.

"When they actually get married do you think you can bring yourself to stop drooling over her?" Hermione asked sardonically, eyebrow raised.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you, I don't really see that happening." Hermione huffed. She turned to Harry instead.

"But it was certainly interesting what she was saying about Karkaroff and the Death Eaters in Europe," she said seriously. "And poor Viktor." Harry nodded his head. Ron, however, frowned.

"Why?" He asked. Hermione huffed.

"Were you listening at all?" she berated him.

"Yeah, of course, Death Eaters in Europe," said Ron. "But really, why's that so different to what we're going through here. We're fighting the Death Eaters and we're even younger than Krum is."

"But we're not in all out war."

"Who says we're not. I don't know if you've been keeping up with the news, Hermione, but You-know-who's out there and like it or not we are at war."

"But we're not fighting. The Legion, they are keeping us safe, keeping us away from that."

"Not in May they weren't."

"I've got something to tell you," Harry said suddenly. "It's about the war… and what happened at the end of last year." Ron and Hermione froze.

"Is this about…?" Ron started to ask but stopped as Hermione threw him a sharp look. Harry got what he was saying though.

"About what Dumbledore told me at the end of last year?" Harry finished for him. "Yeah." Ron looked guilty.

"We weren't going to ask," Hermione said quickly. "We didn't want to rush you into speaking before you were ready."

"I am ready," Harry told her. "I've been ready for a while now but I knew I couldn't tell you this over the phone." He hesitated. "Sit down," he said, gesturing to the second of the two beds. Hermione and Ron did so. Harry took in a deep breath.

"What Voldemort was looking for in the Ministry was a prophecy," Harry said. Hermione and Ron nodded. They already knew this. "It might have seemed a lot to go through for something like that but there was a good reason. You see, Dumbledore carries a time plant with him at all times and he was the one who the prophecy was made to. He was able to play it for me." Harry hesitated.

"The prophecy was made a long time ago, before we were even born, and it was complicated and difficult to understand but basically, what it foretold, was that there would be someone born destined to have the power to defeat Voldemort." Hermione gasped.

"Who is it?" She asked anxiously. "Have we heard of them? I suppose Dumbledore must be… oh."

"Oh?" Ron repeated, looking quickly between them. "Oh what?"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione moaned. Harry swallowed hard.

"I was the one the prophecy talked about," Harry confirmed to his two friends' horror. "As I said the prophecy was complicated but the gist of it is that a child born as the seventh month dies to parents who had thrice defied him would have the power to defeat Voldemort. I was born at the end of July and my parents had defied Voldemort three times so he went after me. He wasn't there to kill my parents that night. He was there to stop the prophecy."

"Oh Harry," Hermione said.

"But this is a good thing, right," said Ron. "The prophecy said you were destined to defeat him so you'll win, right. It means you'll be able to beat him." Harry wasn't so sure.

"The prophecy said that either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live whilst the other survives," Harry intoned emotionlessly. "From the sounds of it he can kill me just as much as I can kill him. More, really." Ron didn't have anything encouraging to say to that.

"The real funny thing is," Harry said, letting out a tired sigh. "Is that it might not have been me in the prophecy. There was a bit where the prophecy said the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal."

"Mark him as his equal?" Hermione said fearfully. "What does that mean?" Harry shrugged.

"I don't know," Harry told her. "But Dumbledore said he thinks it means that Voldemort chose the person of the prophecy himself, that by attacking me he had acknowledged me as his equal by assuming I was the person in the prophecy. By choosing to kill me he made me his biggest threat." It was a terrible irony.

"Anyway, what really makes the whole thing strange is that it could have been Neville, instead, had Voldemort picked him," Harry told them. "I guess that's why they were attacked after Voldemort was destroyed. He was next on the list."

Ron and Hermione didn't know what to say. They sat before him, pale faced, looking as though they were struggling simply to process what he'd told them. It was a lot to take in.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione moaned. "Why does this always have to happen to you?" Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, you've got absolutely rotten luck mate," Ron told him, looking pained.

"It makes sense though," Harry told them. He'd found he'd actually accepted his fate pretty well. It almost seemed inevitable. "Voldemort's always been after me, now we know why."

"Doesn't really make it any better though, does it," Ron commented.

"Oh, Harry, what are we going to do?" Hermione worried. "If he's always coming after you… we'll have to train up really strong. He won't get past us without a fight."

"Dumbledore's going to be giving me lessons this year," Harry told them, remembering almost as an afterthought. "He wouldn't tell me what exactly he'd be teaching but if anyone knew how to beat Voldemort it would be him."

"Too right," Ron said, suddenly sounding confident once more. "Don't worry mate, Dumbledore will have this covered. Old snake face has nothing on you." The statement was so bizarre Harry almost laughed.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Hello, hello, hello," Bill stepped through the doorway, looking just as Harry had remembered him. "What are you lot doing up here?" Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a look.

"Fleur brought up breakfast," Harry pointed out. He belatedly noticed he'd barely eaten anything, so caught up in his discussion to remember his aching tummy.

Bill laughed at Harry's expression. "Yes, I know, but you lot will be wanting to come down to the kitchen anyway," Bill told them. "The letters have arrived from Hogwarts. It looks like you three have got something extra this year."

Hermione gasped. "The APEs," she breathed. Harry's stomach churned. So Dumbledore hadn't been lying when he'd said to expect them soon.

"They're waiting for you, when you're ready," Bill told them and he left the room.

"Oh my god," Hermione gasped, fanning herself in the face to try to calm herself. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." And she rushed out the door.

"Watch her get ten O's," Ron said, rolling his eyes as he moved to follow her out of the room. "Coming?"

Harry rose nervously, taking his tray with him, the food not looking nearly as appetising now, and followed Ron down the stairs.

Walking into the kitchen they were welcomed with the sight of the whole residence of the Burrow gathered around the kitchen table. Hermione, still looking as though she was about to burst, was fidgeting as she stood at the table, a plain white envelope with the Ministry seal emblazoned upon it sitting before her, and Harry and Ron approached the table to find two identical letters lying where they'd usually sit for breakfast.

"How should we do this?" Ron muttered quietly. Even after his blasé attitude to Hermione's chances he had quickly lost all cheer. Hermione, standing on his other side, didn't look capable of answering.

"Count of three?" Harry suggested, gingerly picking up his envelope. It felt heavy in his hand.

"Better make it five," Ron muttered, glancing at Hermione. She let out a small whimper. "Five." Harry swallowed. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead.

"Four," Ron continued. Nervously Harry looked up. Every eye in the room was on them, every person, Weasley or otherwise, watching in anticipation. For a brief moment Harry's eyes met Ginny's. His stomach lurched uncomfortably.

"Three…"

"No, wait, stop, I'm not ready," Hermione gasped frantically.

"… Two, One," Ron rushed the rest of the countdown and Harry quickly pulled open his envelope, Ron and even Hermione doing the same, the girl promptly shrieking and throwing the envelope down on the table as if burned.

Ron sniggered. Harry immediately felt a bit better. With a deep, steadying breath he opened up his letter and pulled out the sheets within.

AVERAGE POKÉMON EXAMINATION RESULTS

Pass Grades:

Outstanding (O)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Acceptable (A)

Fail Grades:

Poor (P)

Dreadful (D)

Slowpoke (S)

HARRY JAMES POTTER HAS ACHIEVED:

Fortune Telling - A

Herbology - E

History of Pokémon - S

Pokémon Care - O

Pokémon Statistics - E

Pokémon Battling - O

Pokémon Physiology - E

Potions - E

And with that Harry let out a little sigh of relief. That wasn't bad.

Next to him Ron was grinning.

"Failed Fortune Telling and History," he said carelessly. "But passed all the rest. How did you do?" Harry handed over his results. "Wow, Harry!" Harry, meanwhile, had turned his attention to Hermione. She was staring down at the paper in her hands, completely still.

"Nice one, mate," Ron was saying and Harry zoned back in. "How did you manage to pass Fortune Telling? And what about you, Hermione?" Hermione looked up at the sound of her name, turning to the expectant faces of Harry and Ron. She looked uncertain.

"I did… alright." Ron rolled his eyes.

"Give it here," he said, holding out his hand. Hesitantly Hermione passed him the paper. Ron shook it and held it out in front of him to read. "Yep, nine 'Outstanding's' and one 'Exceeds Expectations' in Pokémon Battling." He turned back to her. "You're actually disappointed."

Harry smiled slightly as Hermione tried desperately to cover for her disappointment, picking his own results back off the table where Ron had left them. They weren't bad at all, really quite good when it came down to it, and Harry couldn't help but feel a rush of pride at the two O's written on the paper. Hagrid would be so pleased.

Yet it wasn't without its bad points. The curly black S next to History of Pokémon stared boldly out of the page at Harry. It was not that he'd expected to do well, much like Ron he had expected to fail History, but it was an awful reminder of just why he'd done so bad. Sitting in that hall, thinking of Sirius locked away in the Ministry, he had not been able to concentrate.

Mrs Weasley clapped her hands together loudly. "Well done, all of you," she told them brightly. "You won't believe how proud I am of all three of you. And Hermione, nine O's, that's incredible."

"Even Bill didn't manage nine O's," Mr Weasley chuckled from his seat at the head of the table.

"I didn't even take nine subjects," Bill commented, not looking bothered at being shown up. "How'd you manage that?"

"She's Hermione, she can do anything," Ron said, grinning proudly at the girl. Hermione blushed red.

"Thank you," she said, her voice small with embarrassment, but genuine.

"Don't mention it, dear," Mrs Weasley told her kindly. "Right, now that we've done all that why don't we open those Hogwarts letters up. Ginny has been ever so patient waiting for you." At her name Harry looked up, but Ginny did not meet his gaze.

Their letters had been left in a pile in the middle of the table and had gone unnoticed by Harry, Ron and Hermione as they were so fixated on their exam results. Ginny already had hers, ready and waiting, and Ron leaned across the table to scoop up the other three, handing one over to Hermione and putting his own down in front of him. Before he could pass Harry's over, however, he paused, weighing it in his hand.

"Hang on," he said and, despite his mother's protests, he opened up Harry's letter and shook its contents out onto the table. Something shiny glinted as it fell and rattled against the wooden table. Ron leaned forward.

"Mate, you're Quidditch Captain," Ron said with a grin, showing Harry the badge.

Harry felt numb. He had not expected this. Katie was a year older than him, he'd been sure that she would have been chosen as captain, so sure he hadn't even contemplated otherwise. Gently he pried the red and gold badge from Ron's grip and looked down at it in wonder.

Ron looked over at him with a grin. "Oh, don't look so shocked. You've won the cup for Gryffindor twice now. You really think McGonagall was going to choose anyone else."

"McGonagall certainly cares about that cup," Bill commented in amusement. "That's a lot of pressure there, Harry."

It was, but nothing Harry hadn't felt before. So long as he had Talonflame, and the able support of Katie, Ron and Ginny - he briefly glanced up at the girl - he knew he'd be able to do McGonagall proud.

Speaking of McGonagall, Harry finally got around to reading the letter that was accompanying the badge.

 _Dear Mister Potter,_

 _I am delighted to offer you captaincy of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team for the coming year. Your hard work and dedication on the pitch in the process of bringing the cup back to Gryffindor is both admirable and exactly what is needed in a captain. Once you arrive back at Hogwarts on September 1st you will be in charge of arranging tryouts to pick your team, organising practices, and leading your team out for matches. The Gryffindor Quidditch Team is now yours, and any misbehaviour by your teammates on the pitch will be your responsibility._

 _Otherwise please see the list of books and equipment for next year. You are required only to purchase supplies for the subjects you wish to continue to SPA level._

 _I look forward to seeing you once the new school term arrives._

 _All the best,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

"We should hurry up and get in contact with the Legion," Mrs Weasley said fretfully and Harry looked up with a frown.

"Why?"

"Well, for protection, of course," Mrs Weasley told him. "We can't have you lot going off to Diagon Alley without a guard."

"It's bad out there, Harry," Mr Weasley said wearily. "Ever since You-know-who showed himself at the Ministry. People are scared, unwilling to show themselves in public, and you can understand why."

"There have been attacks?" Harry asked. He was cut off from all news at the Dursleys but it made sense.

"More and more with every passing week," Mr Weasley confirmed. "With his secret now out in the open You-know-who gains nothing by keeping quiet. It's back to the old ways, striking fear into the hearts of the Pokémon public, making them wonder who's next, who's in danger, and if the only way to truly be safe is to surrender yourself to the Dark Lord."

"Which is why we are not going to go to Diagon Alley without a guard," Mrs Weasley said, shooting her husband a pointed look and causing him to look sheepish. "Now why don't you all go note down what you'll be needing, this trip needs some good organising."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To DragonessNehamee: I'm really sorry to hear that. I can't begin to understand how tough that must be for you and I hope things are better now.

For this chapter's question of the day we go back to Pokémon.

 _DelugeLeader 666 :-_ _What about Z-Moves, not including z-crystals going to a certain Pokémon, like Eevee or Pikachu. If you had to choose three to be your favourite, what three?_

I have never played the Gen 7 games so I've never had the chance to really use z-moves at all. Thinking about it, though, I don't think I'd be too keen to have a z-move that has an immunity against it. Imagine using an electric z-move only for your opponent to switch into a ground type. It would be such a waste and I'd absolutely hate that happening.

Saying that I think Rockium Z would probably be my favourite. There are some really powerful rock type moves with poor accuracy so to be able to make them stronger and ensure they hit would be brilliant. The same can be said for Steelium Z with Iron Tail.

As for battle animations I think my favourites would have to be electric, ice, ground and bug.

So what do you think? This is the last of the questions I have so if you want to see these continue please leave a question you want answered in the reviews. Otherwise there will not be a question of the day in the next chapter.

I hope to see you again next time.


	4. Danger In Diagon Alley

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

It took three days for an escort from the Legion to arrive and Harry was quite pleased when he saw them, rising early on the Sunday morning, as Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks entered the kitchen.

"Good morning," Remus said politely as he acknowledged the gathered Weasleys sitting down for breakfast. With Bill and Fleur there it was still quite busy, even without the usual presence of Fred and George, and Remus had to sidle his way along the side of the room, shaking hands with Arthur and Bill as he passed. When he reached Harry he smiled.

"How are you, Harry?" He asked.

"I'm alright," Harry told him. It had been a difficult summer, spending it with the Dursleys had certainly not helped stop him from focusing over and over on the events of the end of last year, but being with the Weasleys, being around people that actually cared about him, was helping.

Not that there weren't still problems. It had been three days and still Ginny had not said a word to him.

She was standing behind Remus, greeting Tonks with a warm hug, and generally acting as though he wasn't there, which at least was a damn sight better than the way she'd acted when they'd first met. Yet he had found that since then Ginny had become his friend and the sudden end to their interactions left a rather jarring hole in Harry's life at the Burrow.

They left not long after, all of them, barring Bill and Fleur, clambering into Mr Weasley's minivan, with Mr Weasley himself taking the wheel. Ginny had taken up the seat right behind the driver and front passenger, where her parents were seated, and in front of Remus and Tonks, sitting together, and Harry had to wonder if she'd done this deliberately. In any case he was left sitting near the back, with Ron and Hermione sitting across from him.

"Can you stop fidgeting," Ron grumbled, giving Hermione an annoyed look. "You know there's not much space." Hermione looked guilty.

"Sorry," she admitted, dropping whatever the thing was she was playing with, hung around her neck. Harry frowned.

"What is that?" He asked. Hermione didn't normally wear a necklace.

Hermione looked surprised. "Oh," she said. "I never showed you." And she reached back up and pulled the necklace out from under her shirt, holding up the small stone the glistened at the end.

Harry recognised it immediately. It was a Key Stone.

"Mum and dad found it in a small shop down in Cornwall," Hermione told him, leaning over to allow him to examine the Key Stone without it leaving her neck. "It was very expensive but once I told them what it was and what it could do they thought it was worth the money and got it for me. Something like an early birthday present."

"That was really nice of them," Harry commented absently, handing Hermione back the stone.

"It was, wasn't it," Hermione agreed, looking slightly guilty. "I wish I could have stayed with them a bit longer but… well, you know." She fell quiet. "Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to get some use out of this. I don't have any Pokémon that can Mega Evolve but maybe I could catch one once we get back to Hogwarts."

"That could take a while," Remus warned from the seat in front of her, turning his head slightly to talk to them. "Mega Evolution doesn't just require the stones and the right Pokémon. Mega Evolution is only successful if there is a strong bond between trainer and Pokémon. That's where the power comes from."

"Maybe I can get a Key Stone one day and Mega Evolve Blastoise," Ron said enthusiastically. "I bet our bond is strong enough. Anyway, did you hear Fleur say that Krum got a Mega Stone. Gyaradosite. As if that thing needed to be any scarier."

They were leaving the countryside behind by this point, buildings becoming more and more frequent around them, and soon enough they'd made the transition into London City, where the traffic quickly increased and Mr Weasley's minivan started to slow. Up front an argument was brewing.

"You've got to stay, Arthur," Mrs Weasley was telling her husband sternly. "You shouldn't be straining yourself."

"I'm not an invalid, Molly," Mr Weasley replied tersely. "I can manage buying my children school supplies."

"But Arthur, it would simply be terrible if you overexerted yourself," Mrs Weasley told him. "What would the children do if you had to go back to St Mungo's?"

"Don't say that, Molly, don't," he said sternly. "I know full well to look after myself but you've got to understand, what would I do if I stayed with the van and you were attacked and hurt? I could not live with myself if I wasn't there to help." Molly bit her lip. She looked close to tears.

"Arthur, they'll be alright," Remus said soothingly. "Tonks and I will be there and Moody will be meeting us at the Leaky Cauldron. Not one of us will allow anything to happen to them."

Mr Weasley looked at Remus in the rearview mirror, his expression anxious, before he let out a soft sigh.

"I know, Remus," he admitted. "I know you'll do everything you can to protect them. It's just not easy, standing by." He reached over and sought out Mrs Weasley's hand, giving it a squeeze with a small smile on his face. Mrs Weasley smiled tearfully back.

"Hey dad, didn't you leave that book Charlie got you in the glove compartment," Ginny said, leaning over between her parents' seats. "Maybe you'll get a chance to finish it."

Mr Weasley looked thoughtful. "You know what, that's a very good idea," he said approvingly. "Let's see if it's here." He reached over and opened the glove compartment.

"Aha!" He cried triumphantly, holding the book aloft. "Just where I left it. Thank you, Ginny, that was very well remembered." He smiled warmly at his daughter and Ginny smiled back, falling back into her seat. In the seats behind her Remus was sharing a whispered conversation with Tonks, who smiled and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

What was that about?

They came to a stop ten minutes later, Mr Weasley finding a spot in a multi-story car park before ordering everyone out. Ginny went first, again unusually prompt, and then Remus followed after her, holding out a hand to help Tonks down the step. Again, weird.

"We shouldn't be too long, Arthur," Remus told Mr Weasley through the passenger side window as Harry, Ron and Hermione finally clambered out and shut the door behind them. "We'll just be going in, getting what we need and then leaving again."

"Right," said Mr Weasley, still looking anxious despite agreeing to stay with the van. "Well, look after them Remus." Remus nodded. "And kids, don't go wandering off, alright?" He sent a look at all four of them, part stern but mostly worried.

"Let's go." And Remus led them away.

The journey from the car park to the Leaky Cauldron was a familiar one, the Weasleys having used this car park once before as a place to keep Mr Weasley's minivan during a shopping trip. Up at the front strode Ginny and Mrs Weasley, Mrs Weasley taking a tight hold of her daughter's hand, much to Ginny's obvious annoyance. Behind them walked Remus and Tonks, not holding hands but certainly walking closely together, speaking in murmurs. Behind them Harry watched with suspicion, Ron and Hermione at his side.

"Mate, you okay?" Ron asked, seeing his expression. Harry did not answer directly. Instead he asked a question.

"Have you guys noticed anything weird about Remus and Tonks?" He wondered. Ron snorted in laughter and Hermione blushed red, though she was smiling. Harry frowned at their reactions. "What?"

"Do you want to tell him?" Ron chortled, grinning at Hermione. Hermione smiled faintly in return before turning to Harry.

"Remus and Tonks are, uh… well, they're dating," she told him, blushing as she did so. Harry blinked.

"What?"

"I know, crazy, right," said Ron, though he was smiling. "I would never have guessed it, thought mum was trying to marry her off to Charlie. They were at Hogwarts together, you know."

"She is a lot younger than Remus," Hermione admitted, looking forward at the two subjects of their conversation. "But they do look happy, don't they. And after all Remus has been through I think he deserves it."

They did look happy, Harry had to admit, but for some reason that made him feel uncomfortable. Something about it just didn't seem right, like an out of place piece in a jigsaw puzzle. The scene in front of him just seemed too… perfect, almost as though it were some sort of front, a fake, idealised image thrown up to hide the truth.

They reached the Leaky Cauldron soon after, Harry still no closer to understanding the feeling of unease in his stomach, and as Remus and Tonks went to the bar to talk to the landlord, Tom, Harry, Ron and Hermione fell back into a shadowy corner to wait.

"Didn't Remus say Moody was meeting us here?" Hermione asked anxiously. She had a right to be. When someone like Moody didn't turn up for things it was a sure sign that something had gone wrong.

Ron, however, didn't seem worried.

"Relax," he said, looking past them and eyeing up a couple of attractive teenage girls in a booth across the way. "He probably just got delayed from trying to throw imaginary pursuers off his tail, you know what Moody's like. Got more screws loose than most of us have screws."

"Is that right, Weasley?" Ron jumped, his feet catching on a nearby chair, nearly toppling over. From out of the shadows to their left, where Harry had been sure there had been no one, a shape shifted into view and Mad-Eye Moody showed himself, his Murkrow, Murk, on his shoulder as always.

"Constant vigilance, Weasley," Moody growled, looking down his nose at Ron despite the fact Ron was now taller than him. "Always be aware of your surroundings. Next time you make that mistake may very well be your last." He shook down his jacket, the colour matching almost perfectly with the wall behind him, and grunted. "Come on then."

Remus and Tonks returned to them once Moody had made his presence known, Mad-Eye wasting no time in berating the pair for not paying closer attention to their charges.

"If you're going to let your sentimental urges influence your work then I'll have you split up!"

Once Mad-Eye felt he had appropriately scolded them, Remus looking apologetic, Tonks bored, he rounded up the rest of the group and led them out into the courtyard and through to Diagon Alley.

It was very different from what Harry remembered. Diagon Alley, usually a vibrant street filled with venders selling wares of all shapes, sizes and smells, was dark and gloomy. More than a few shops were boarded up, including, to Harry's horror, Ollivander's.

"He's gone into hiding," Remus told him quietly. "It's no secret that he's a target for the Death Eaters. All those Pokémon he looks after could be deadly in the wrong hands."

Flourish and Blotts, on the other hand, was open, and Mrs Weasley wasted no time in pushing the four children through the various sections of the store, mercifully quiet, where they picked up their textbooks for the upcoming year. It was with some satisfaction that Harry skipped the Potions textbooks, thinking about how glad he would be to never have a lesson with Snape again, and Ron joined him in moving straight to the Pokémon Care section.

They went to the counter and, with there being no line, quickly paid, the poor sales clerk looking taken aback by such a large group at once. He was the only member of staff present in the store. Clearly business wasn't good.

In fact that seemed to be the case for the whole of the Alley and Harry didn't see anyone of note until they went over to the apothecary and Harry bumped straight into someone walking out the door.

"Watch it," the person snapped and Harry immediately whipped around.

Draco Malfoy was standing there, looking equally as surprised to see that it was Harry he'd bumped into as Harry was to see him, though a sneer settled easily on his face.

"Alright Potter," he lashed out. "You look pretty chipper for a dead man." Almost immediately Moody stepped forward, looming up behind Harry, and both Remus and Tonks tensed.

A well manicured hand fell on Malfoy's shoulder.

"Careful, Draco, we don't want to cause a scene." Narcissa Malfoy looked every bit the posh aristocrat that she was, her head held high, not a single blonde hair out of place as she looked imperiously down at everyone around her.

"I wasn't doing anything, Mother," Malfoy bit out. "I was merely greeting my old schoolfriend. You okay, Potter? How's your godfather?" Harry stepped forward angrily and immediately he felt hands on his arms, Ron and Hermione instinctively holding him back.

"Draco," his mother said warningly. He ignored her.

"So how is it, Potter?" Malfoy asked him viciously. "How does it feel?" Harry grit his teeth.

"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, Malfoy," Ron spoke up, eyeing Harry worriedly but still glaring at Malfoy. "How's your father? Think he's making friends with the Dusknoir?" Malfoy stepped forward angrily.

"That's enough," barked Moody, moving to stand between the two boys. Clearly he did not consider Malfoy a serious threat but he wasn't about to let him hold them up. "You, boy, scram. Get on with your shopping and leave Potter be." Malfoy sneered.

"Draco, come on," Mrs Malfoy hissed in his ear and she reached out to grab his forearm.

"Ouch!" Malfoy cried, yanking his arm away in pain. "Mother!" But Narcissa Malfoy just continued to try to cart him away and, eventually, Malfoy caved, shooting back a vicious look at Harry before he turned and strode swiftly away at his mother's side.

"Bloody kid," Moody grumbled, turning back to the apothecary.

Harry stayed quiet as the group slowly returned to their shopping, any sense of good humour gone with the encounter with Malfoy. Remus, Tonks and Moody all looked on particularly high alert, taking positions by the doors whenever they walked into a shop and keeping a sharp eye out for anything that may cause harm.

Harry himself didn't say anything until they'd returned to Mr Weasley's minivan, stored away all their shopping, and were well on their way back to the Burrow. Then he spoke in a quiet voice so only his friends could hear.

"I've got an idea," he muttered to them, seeing their eyes turn alert immediately. "It's about Malfoy. I think I've figured out what's going on."

"Apart from him just being a git," said Ron. Harry just shot him a look. "Sorry. Go on." Harry took a breath.

"Remember when Malfoy's mum was dragging him away?" Harry said, feeling more secure about his idea as he spoke. "Remember how she grabbed his arm and he flipped out?"

"Yeah, that was weird," Ron agreed.

"Maybe he had an accident and was just a bit sensitive," Hermione suggested. Harry shook his head.

"I've got a better idea," he told them. "His forearm, his left forearm, was tender. And we all know what people like Malfoy have on their left forearms." It took a moment for the penny to drop.

"What?" Ron spluttered. "You think…?" Harry nodded.

"No, Harry, it can't be," Hermione told him. "Malfoy cannot have the Dark Mark. He's not a Death Eater."

"How do you know?" Harry asked. "We haven't seen him for months and, hell, last year he was working for Voldemort."

"He's just a kid, Harry, like us," Hermione pointed out.

"And we're at the very centre of this war," Harry argued back. "And you know Malfoy hates us and he's always wanted to be like his father. He's probably been dreaming about this for years."

"I don't know mate," Ron said uncertainly. "I think I have to side with Hermione on this one." Harry looked at him expectantly. "Well, look, I believe Malfoy is enough of a git to want to be a Death Eater but, you know, You-know-who has some standards. I doubt he'd want Malfoy."

"Maybe he wanted to reward him for what he did last year," Harry suggested. "Maybe he wanted a follower inside Hogwarts and realised Malfoy would be loyal. Maybe he thought Malfoy would be so mad about his father being in Azkaban that he would want revenge and would do anything Voldemort told him to do."

"I think you are thinking way too much into this Harry," Hermione told him softly. "I think Malfoy just overreacted. He was angry, people exaggerate things when they are emotional and, you know, he thinks you sent his dad to prison."

"Not that you'd know his dad was in prison with the way his mum looks," Ron added. "Maybe Malfoy was hurt by those nails of hers. Like, honestly, if my husband was locked up in Azkaban for being a Death Eater then I might have more important things to worry about than my manicures."

"That's not fair," Hermione said crossly. "You know it can't have been easy to lose her husband like that. It's probably her way of coping, acting like nothing is wrong to distract herself from what has happened. She was certainly in a hurry to leave. I feel sorry for her, actually."

Harry didn't say anything. It wasn't that Hermione and Ron had persuaded him otherwise, he still firmly believed that Malfoy had the Dark Mark recently tattooed on his arm, but he didn't think he could open his mouth without saying something he would later regret.

Sorry for Mrs Malfoy? Oh, sure, you can feel sorry for a woman who had everything, whose only vice was that her Death Eater husband was, quite rightfully, imprisoned for crimes she'd likely sat by and watched. But where was this for Sirius? He had gone through horrors most people could only dream of, losing his friends and spending twelve years in Azkaban and the three years after in hiding. No one even seemed to notice he was gone.

They made it back to the Burrow some time later, the sky starting to darken as the sun set over the horizon. Mrs Weasley quickly set about making everyone dinner, Remus and Tonks being ordered to stay for the night, and soon everyone was sitting around the Weasleys' kitchen table, the room filled to capacity.

Everyone seemed cheery, almost like they were celebrating their trip to Diagon Alley, talking and laughing and generally acting carefree and happy. Harry felt sincerely out of place in the merriment, his fingers more often than not finding the Key Stone that hung around his neck, reminding him of the man who'd found it for him.

About halfway through the meal Fleur spoke up.

"So tell me, Tonks, 'ow did you and Remus get together? Was it romantic?" Remus blushed deeply, obviously embarrassed. Tonks grinned.

"As romantic as Remus gets," she told Fleur, eliciting a small laugh from the girl. "Remus here is always such a shy one, I couldn't just wait for him to make the first move."

"Not that you'd ever wait around, right Tonks?" Ginny grinned. Tonks winked.

"Well, you must tell us," Fleur insisted.

"Yes, quite right, I think we'd all love to hear the story," Mr Weasley beamed. Tonks looked expectantly at Remus, grinning mischievously, and Remus, still blushing, gave a small cough to clear his throat, and began to speak.

"It all happened over this past summer," he told the table at large. "As you all know Dora had some concerns after the end of last year and had to spend some time in St Mungo's. Being one of the few people to know her without her current employment…"

"And not being one of my Death Eater relatives," Tonks added.

"… I came round to keep her company while she recovered."

"And lucky he did, I was going crazy in there," Tonks told them. Remus let out an amused smile, agreeing but making sure to keep that to himself.

"Anyway, after however long of Dora being bed bound she was finally given the go ahead to return home and I, not knowing, came to visit her to find her standing fully dressed and ready to go. She walked up to me, grabbed my bum, and said, 'Come on, Wolf boy'."

Everyone laughed. All except Harry. He looked out at the room with a sick feeling in his stomach. He felt suddenly claustrophobic, the air in the room seeming to thin and cause him to struggle for breath. Everything around him seemed to slow down and move away, as though he was watching it all from the end of a long telescope.

He stood up.

"Sorry," he muttered, aware of everyone looking at him, the laughter starting to die down. "Just need to get some air." And he hurried from the room, keeping his head down and avoiding everyone's gaze. He opened the door, feeling the slight chill of the night air, though still warm enough for him to go out in only a shirt, and he strode forwards, away from the house.

He stopped once he'd reached the garden fence, leaning against it and breathing deeply. It helped, but not much.

He heard the door open again behind him and he stood still, silently hoping the person was just there to make sure he wasn't being sick or anything. He couldn't deal with anyone right now, needed to be left in peace to deal with this himself, and he silently begged for the person to return inside.

But they didn't. Instead they walked up beside Harry and leaned against the fence with him, looking out into the distance.

"Harry?" It was Remus, his voice soft, and Harry's eyes flicked briefly sideways and away again. "Harry, are you alright?" Harry nodded.

"Fine," he muttered. "Just need some air." He fell silent for a moment. "You should go back inside, finish your meal."

"I'm done," Remus said simply. "Molly's cooking is delicious but I simply don't have room for any more. I thought I'd much rather spend my time out here, with you." Harry pursed his lips. He just wanted Remus to go back inside.

For a while Remus didn't do anything. He simply stood there.

Eventually he broke the silence.

"Ron and Hermione are worried about you." There was a pause.

"They told you that?" Harry asked. Remus shook his head, Harry only peripherally aware of the movement.

"No," he said. "But it was obvious in their faces. Both of them wanted to follow you out here. They would have if Molly hadn't forbid them." Ron and Hermione knew him better than anyone. It was no surprise they'd realised something was wrong.

"So why are you out here?" Harry asked.

"For the same reason they wanted to be," Remus told him. "I care for you, Harry. I want to know what's wrong." And like that the dam was broken.

"Care for me?" Harry spat, turning to face the man angrily. "Well that's nice but it'd be nicer if you could care for Sirius, just a bit. Maybe acknowledge he's gone, that it's a loss, that things aren't fine. You're all so happy and… why? How? Have you just forgotten? You can't have. Please, tell me you haven't."

Remus didn't respond immediately. He simply looked back at Harry, his eyes showing the sadness that Harry had expected to see earlier. Where had it been? Why did everything seem fine?

Remus sighed.

"I thought this would have something to do with Sirius," he admitted. "I knew you'd struggle to deal with it. Sirius was a great man and, to you, he was even more. I don't blame you for being angry."

"Then why don't you care?" Harry asked. "If he was a great man surely you should be sad that he's gone. But I've heard more sympathy for Narcissa Malfoy. Why does she deserve that and Sirius doesn't?"

"They both deserve it," Remus said firmly. "They've both struggled. But Harry, things aren't what they seem on the surface. I can promise you that no one has forgotten Sirius."

Harry didn't say anything but that did not mean he was mollified. He didn't think anyone had forgotten Sirius, they just didn't care. His death was something everyone else had just moved on from, including Remus. Sirius deserved better than that.

Remus sighed and he turned to lean his back against the fence, looking back at the house behind them. "I have a confession to make, Harry," he said tiredly. "My life right now is not as happy as it seems. Yes, I have Dora and she is wonderful and I'm happy and grateful to be with her, but I do miss Sirius. I miss him every single day." He looked over at Harry.

"When I first went to visit Dora at St Mungo's I didn't do it because I thought she'd be bored," he told him. "I did it because I couldn't stand another minute being on my own. Every waking moment I spent alone I thought of Sirius. And it was driving me mad. I went through this before, Harry, with James and Lily, and it nearly drove me to my breaking point. But with company I found distraction and it made it that little bit easier to get up in the morning as each day passed to the next."

"It is the same for Dora," Remus continued. "She got to know Sirius well over the last year. They were cousins, though Sirius was in Azkaban by the time Dora was old enough to remember, and so the connection was important for the both of them. And because of that she needed my presence as much as I needed hers. And eventually the pain started to fade, just enough that we could actually speak about what was hurting us, and we could begin to heal."

"How?" Harry asked.

"By talking," said Remus. "By being honest. I will tell you, Harry, that I am far from okay with what happened to Sirius. He was my friend, he had been there for me in the good times and the bad. I will never forget him. But we have to move on."

"But it's so hard," Harry choked, blinking back tears. "To know that he's gone, every single day. I can't do it."

"Yes, you can," Remus told him. "You just need time."

"I forget he's dead, sometimes," Harry admitted, feeling guilt knife through him. "I sometimes expect to see him walk into the room and then I'll remember that he won't. He never will. Never again." Remus wrapped an arm around Harry and, instinctively, Harry buried his head into his chest.

Remus rubbed his back as he allowed Harry to cry into his shirt, despite Harry's best efforts to keep the tears at bay. He didn't say anything, didn't speak, he simply stood there and held Harry and Harry realised that this must be what it feels like to have a father, someone to turn to when you can't even turn to yourself.

"Sorry," he muttered thickly, pulling himself away and feeling a little embarrassed, not so much about the tears he had shed but more about the accusations he had thrown at Remus. They had been wrong and unfair and Harry should have known better. He should have known Remus better.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Remus said and Harry couldn't help but feel as though Remus understood what he was apologising for.

"Still, I am," Harry muttered. "It wasn't fair."

"Life isn't fair," Remus countered. "What has happened to you isn't fair. Quite frankly it astounds me as to how you are still standing. Most men would have crumpled under the weight of what you've experienced."

"Haven't been doing a particularly good job lately," Harry muttered self depreciatingly.

"No, I admit you've been subpar, keeping too much to yourself," Remus told him and Harry felt properly chastised. "I know it can be hard to see when the world is crashing down around you but you have friends, Harry, friends who are willing to help you. Friends like Ron and Hermione. Friends like the Weasleys. And me." Harry looked up at him. "Remember, please, that if you ever need someone to talk to, whether about Sirius, or Voldemort, or even girls at school, you can talk to me. I want you to talk to me. Promise me that."

Harry nodded. "I promise," he told him. "I promise I won't keep things from you." Remus smiled.

"Then perhaps you can tell me what is going on with you and Ginny." Harry looked away awkwardly. "There's some unusual tension between you."

"Eh, yeah, eh…" Harry mumbled before reminding himself of the promise he'd just made. "Yes, eh, that is complicated." Remus smiled.

"Why don't we take a walk?" Remus suggested. "And you can tell me what the problem is."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed.

To Jacebralor: Thanks for the kind words. Praise like this is always an honour to receive and really helps make all the work that goes into writing worth it. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and I hope that continues.

We have a question of the day for this chapter which I will show you below.

 _DragonessNehamee_ _:- I'm not sure if this question has been asked but do you have a favourite generation of Pokémon? Mine was sinnoh because I really liked the anime that gen and I love a load of the Pokémon. Plus I may be biased as that's when I was first introduced to Pokémon... always watched it before school as a kid._

I put in the whole review because it is pretty much my exact answer to your question. Gen 4 is my favourite and while it isn't the first time I played Pokémon (I believe I played Crystal when I was younger, I don't remember well) Pokémon Diamond was the first game I really remember playing. A lot of my favourite Pokémon are from Sinnoh like Torterra, Infernape, Lucario, Garchomp, Luxray, etc. and I also used to watch the anime for Sinnoh before school (though I always had to leave halfway through).

Now I present the question to the readers, what generation of Pokémon was your favourite? Leave a review with your answer and also let me know if you have a question you want to ask.

Until next time.


	5. The Slug Club

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Remus and Tonks left early the next morning, thanking Mr and Mrs Weasley for their hospitality. They climbed into Remus's car - the sort of thing you wouldn't be too surprised to find around Little Whinging - and trundled down the track and out of sight.

Remus's words had had a profound effect on Harry, and Remus had pulled him aside briefly before he left to remind him of Harry's promise. He couldn't say he was okay with Sirius's death but his talk with Remus had opened his eyes to the possibility that he didn't need to be okay with it to continue to function. Hermione and Ron were rather relieved by his sudden change of demeanour.

There was just under a couple of weeks before their scheduled return to Hogwarts and Harry did his best to use that time to put Remus's advice into practice. He made himself proactive, offering his help to Mrs Weasley for various house chores that were required, and he spent a lot of time with Ron and Hermione, being as open and honest with them as he could, though still the mere mention of Sirius's name plunged a knife into his gut.

One problem he was quite keen to have resolved was his fractured relationship with Ginny. His talk with Remus the night of the Diagon Alley visit had not provided him with any glaringly obvious answer to his predicament but Remus had left him with some rather sound advice, that being to talk to Ginny and find out how she felt.

The problem was that Ginny seemed to be going out of her way to avoid such a conversation at all costs. Though the Burrow was small and it was impossible for her to avoid him completely it was also very difficult to actually get any privacy, and very easy for Ginny to ensure that she always had someone else present in the room to stop her from ever being alone with him.

It was awfully frustrating, especially since the whole fiasco was drawing the attention of the rest of the residence of the Weasley household, none of whom seemed privy to what had happened between Harry and Ginny and therefore were completely confused, leading them to gradually get more and more obvious with their desire to know what had happened. Harry wasn't prepared to answer, not with so many Weasleys under one roof, and it seemed Ginny was staying silent on the matter too, leading to mounting frustration throughout the household.

And on the last night at the Burrow, with everyone packed up and ready to head to King's Cross the next morning, Harry had finally had enough. Leaving Fred and George's room, knowing that the rest of the house were either asleep or preparing to be so, Harry crept quietly down the stairs.

There was one place Harry knew he could catch Ginny alone, one place he'd held himself back from encroaching upon, and that was the fifteen year old's bedroom. It was situated just below Fred and George's room, perfectly placed to allow Harry to sneak down without anyone noticing, and on this night he was finally pushed to do it. By tomorrow they would be at Hogwarts, where getting Ginny alone would be near impossible, and Harry could not continue to have this hanging over his head. Blood pumping, Harry reached Ginny's bedroom door and raised a fist to knock.

"Vee?"

The tiny cry brought him short and Harry paused, fist still held before the door, looking down to where Eevee stood, just a few steps away. As Harry looked Pikachu hurried after the baby Pokémon, looking apologetic for having allowed Eevee to escape from Harry's room.

But the appearance of Eevee had given Harry pause and as quickly as he'd felt the blood rush up within him it died away once more and Harry's shoulders slumped.

He shouldn't be doing this. He already knew that but his frustration had overridden his sense of reason. It wasn't fair to be banging on Ginny's bedroom door at this time of night, she was probably already asleep, and as he allowed his fist to drop to his side he realised he was falling foul to the same frustration that had caused him to lash out at Remus.

He sighed.

"Pika," Pikachu said apologetically, looking up at him with guilty eyes. Harry forced out a small smile.

"It's alright," he muttered, glad really that Eevee had been able to escape and had stopped him from making such a huge mistake. "No harm done." He looked back up the stairs, thinking of how he should be returning to his room to get some sleep, but for some reason he just didn't feel ready.

"Vee?" Eevee said questioningly, stepping down the last couple of steps so he was standing by Harry's heel. Harry smiled at him, bending down to lift the normal type into his arms.

"Let's go outside," he suggested, glancing at Pikachu too. "Get some fresh air. We'll be busy tomorrow, we could do with some peace."

The Burrow was dark and silent as Harry snuck his way downstairs, Eevee in his arms and Pikachu riding his shoulder, and the slight click of the front door opening was heard by no one as Harry slipped outside.

Outside was equally as dark, Harry's vision only stretching out as far as the light from upstairs windows illuminated. A warm breeze drifted through the air, ruffling Harry's hair, the smell of freshly cut grass drifting over him.

He walked away from the door, feeling as though anyone could just walk out and stumble upon him, and rounded the side of the house, keeping within the little light available. He found a good place to stop, facing out into the darkness of the road to Ottery St Catchpole, and lowered himself to the ground, leaning back against the house and letting out a long breath. Eevee curled up peacefully in his arms, perfectly comfortable in his embrace, and Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder to sit next to him. For the longest time they stayed silent.

Pikachu sneezed.

"Bless you," Harry muttered, looking down at the Pokémon. Pikachu looked up in confusion, not quite understanding the human phrase, and so Harry gave him a quick smile of reassurance.

"It's okay," he told the rodent Pokémon. "It's just something people say." Pikachu seemed satisfied by the answer, turning to look back out into the darkness. "Ready for next year?"

Pikachu turned back, tilting his head.

"Excited to be going back to Hogwarts?" Pikachu nodded his head animatedly. Harry smiled.

"Me too," he admitted. He had his trepidations, notably that returning to Hogwarts meant returning to the full reality of the state of the Pokémon world, but even beyond that Harry couldn't help but yearn to return.

Hogwarts was home to Harry, the first one he had ever really had. And though it was often times not as secure as it should be and he'd got into more trouble than pretty much anyone his age could he still could not regret attending Britain's premier Pokémon trainer school.

"We've come a long way," Harry said wistfully, remembering back to when he'd first boarded the Hogwarts Express, almost six years ago to the day, before he had even met Ron or Hermione and when he'd only had a tiny little Charmander for company. He'd grown since then, evolving into a Charizard, and so had Harry, evolving in a much more profound way. When he'd first attended Hogwarts he had been so wonderfully naive, believing the best of the world, believing Pokémon to be that deciding factor between what was good and what was evil.

But of course he knew better now. The Pokémon world had its demons, demons Harry had been confronted with more times than he cared to count. Pokémon, as marvellous as they were, did not stop people from being people. So brilliantly flawed, human beings would not change their nature purely from the presence of something different.

But there was a flip side. The forces of evil used Pokémon to punish and oppress but there were those who fought for the light, working side by side with Pokémon to preserve what is good, hope, dreams, love. People like Albus Dumbledore and the Legion of Ho-oh. People like the Hogwarts professors and the members of the DA. And though one shining light had been dimmed, though Harry mourned its passing with all his being, the purpose of that light lingered on, and it was up to them now to achieve that goal.

"It won't be easy," Harry said aloud, Pikachu looking up at him curiously. "We've got some struggles ahead. But we won't give up. For Sirius, we won't give up."

And on that night, the 31st of August, Harry made that vow to the world. Sirius had fought for something greater than Harry, something eminently worth fighting for, and now he was gone Harry was honour bound to see his goal come true.

* * *

The next morning they youngest members of the Weasley household were packed up and ready to go, jammed in to the back of Mr Weasley's minivan with their trunks, with Mr and Mrs Weasley in the front seats and Bill, taking a half day off work, sitting with them in the back.

It didn't appear that anyone had noticed Harry's late night excursion, and more importantly no one had noticed Harry's brief attempt to confront Ginny, and without Fred and George for company the group quietly wound their way away from the Burrow and Ottery St Catchpole and onwards towards King's Cross station.

They arrived in a car park, waved down by Moody, Remus and Tonks joining him, and together the group made the rest of the journey on foot, the four students dragging their trunks behind them.

They met Kingsley Shacklebolt at the entrance.

"Report," Moody barked once they approached. Kingsley didn't blink.

"No sign of suspicious activity," he reported in his deep, melodic voice. "Just the general school rush. It looks like they're not making an attack."

"Or they're trying to lull us into a false sense of security," Moody growled, stalking past Kingsley and into the station. "Come on then, and keep an eye out."

They made an odd and very noticeable group, marching through the station in a close knit bunch, led by the ferocious looking Mad-eye Moody. Harry had to think that if there was going to be an attack planned they made very difficult targets to miss.

Yet, despite Moody's paranoia, they were not interrupted as they approached the barrier that led to platform nine and three quarters and, Moody insisting on sending Kingsley and Remus ahead to scout the Platform, they were quickly ushered through and packed away on the Hogwarts Express.

"Have a good year," Mrs Weasley said hurriedly. The whistle had blown and any moment now the train would be leaving the station. "Behave yourselves and keep out of trouble."

"Yep, definitely going to do that," Ron said with a roll of his eyes. Hermione dug an elbow into his ribs.

"We will, Mrs Weasley," she promised on their behalf. "We'll look after ourselves." Mrs Weasley smiled a grateful, yet tearful smile.

"We'll see you all for Christmas," Mr Weasley promised, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Until then, take care."

The train started to move, Mr and Mrs Weasley stepping back and joining the crowd of concerned parents on the platform as they waved away their children for another uncertain year. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny waved back, the same uncertainty lurking in the back of their minds, before the Hogwarts Express rounded a corner and the platform disappeared from view.

They pulled themselves away from the window.

"So, should we find a compartment?" Harry suggested. They were probably mostly full by now but there was always a good chance of bumping into some people to share with.

"Sorry, Harry, we can't," Hermione told him apologetically. "We're prefects, we have to go to the prefect's carriage."

"Right, sorry, I forgot," Harry said, shaking his head slightly.

"We'll catch up with you once the Head Boy and Girl give out our assignments," Hermione promised.

"See you, mate," Ron bade Harry farewell and both he and Hermione made their way down the train. Harry turned to Ginny.

"Should we…?" But Ginny was gone, leaving Harry standing there on his own with only his trunk for company.

That left Harry to drag his trunk down the train alone, looking for an empty compartment where he could take a seat, but as he'd expected nearly everywhere was full, those that weren't already occupying people Harry didn't know, who would stare at him in fascination as he passed.

He'd got quite far down the train, growing tired with his lack of success, when he glanced into a compartment and let out a sigh of relief. He pulled open the door.

"Neville." Neville Longbottom was sitting alone, although his Pokémon were there to accompany him. Dewott stood staring out of the window and Pupitar lay propped up in a seat as Neville turned to see who had entered.

"Harry, thank god." He looked mightily relieved. "I grabbed this compartment when I got here but I wasn't sure whether you'd found another one. Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Prefect's carriage," Harry replied easily, dropping himself down tiredly into a seat across from the boy, finally relaxing now that he had found a place to rest. "They said they'd come find us when they were finished. Shouldn't be too long, I imagine."

"Hello Harry." The dreamy voice from the doorway surprised him and he looked up to see Luna Lovegood standing there.

"Luna?" Harry said in surprise. "I didn't see you there."

Luna smiled. "I saw you enter," she told him serenely. "So I followed you. Hello Neville."

"Hi Luna," Neville smiled. "Did you have a good summer?"

"Oh yes," Luna told him certainly. "Daddy took me to Norway to try and track some Crumple-horned Snorcacks?"

"That sounds interesting," Neville told her. "Did you find any?" Luna smiled and shook her head.

"Snorcacks aren't easy to find," she told him dreamily. "They leave no physical traces and so you have to follow the scent they leave as they travel. And since they are invisible they are very hard to spot, unless you walk into them."

Harry, pretty confident that Crumple-horned Snorcacks weren't actually real, wasn't particularly interested in this conversation. He had another, more pressing, matter to be concerned with.

"Have you seen Ginny?" He asked the fifth year Ravenclaw. "She left earlier, I thought she'd try to find you."

"Oh, she did," Luna told him. "I was sitting with her earlier. But she was taken away. A professor wanted her, I think." Harry and Neville shared a confused look. "So I decided to come looking for you. You look tired, Harry."

He was tired, the summer had been draining, and trust Luna to notice that. But what she'd said raised a lot of questions. What reason would a professor want anything to do with Ginny, on the Hogwarts Express, no less. Only Professor Lupin, in Harry's memory, had ever taken the train to get to Hogwarts for the start of the new term.

His question would be answered, sooner than he had anticipated, when yet again the door to the compartment was pulled open.

"Hello Harry, I'm Romilda. Romilda Vane."

The dark haired girl that stood in the entrance to the compartment stated this proudly, her back straight and her chest puffed out ever so slightly. Harry recognised her somewhat, she was a Gryffindor a couple of years below him he believed, but they'd never spoken before.

"Em, hi," Harry responded, looking towards Neville for assistance. He just shrugged. "Um, can I help you?" Romilda favoured him with a dazzling smile, showing off a set of perfect, pearly white teeth.

"I was told to bring you a letter," she told him boldly, handing him a small, decorative envelope. Harry accepted it hesitantly. "I've got one for you," she added, less interestedly, as she shoved a second envelope at Neville. Sharing a look Harry and Neville read.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I would be delighted if you would join me for a spot of lunch in compartment C._

 _Sincerely, Professor H.E.F Slughorn_

"Who's Professor Slughorn?" Neville asked in confusion.

"New Professor," Harry answered. "I met him over the summer. He's nice enough, I guess."

"And why does he want to meet me?" Neville asked bewildered. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, Neville, we're not in trouble," Harry assured him. He knew what this was. "Dumbledore told me that Slughorn likes to get to know students he thinks will be successful after leaving Hogwarts."

"And he picked me?!"

Despite himself, Harry laughed.

"I would," he told the boy honestly. "I'd pick Luna, too." Luna gave him a radiant smile.

"So I suppose you'll be leaving then," she said, her voice perfectly even but Harry could still tell she was disappointed.

"I suppose we kind of have to," Harry admitted. "But I don't think it should take too long. And Ron and Hermione will be coming round soon too." Luna smiled.

"Excellent," she said. "I'm sure Hermione will be very interested in my Snorcack hunt." Harry doubted that but was certain he wanted to be there to see Luna broach the topic. He stood up.

"Excellent," Romilda Vane said, surprising Harry by the fact that she was still there. "Well, maybe after you've talked with Slughorn you might want to join me in my compartment, Harry." She laid a hand gently on his arm, giving Harry an alluring smile.

"Eh," Harry replied, not sure how to react to someone so forward. "I'll think about it."

"Good," Romilda said with a smile. "I'll be waiting. I'm right at the end of the train." And she left, swaying her hips as she went. Harry shook his head in confusion.

"Right, we should go," he muttered. "Bye Luna." And Harry and Neville left Luna behind, alone but for the company of Neville's Dewott and Pupitar. That was company Luna could appreciate.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Neville asked worriedly as they walked down the train. "You look a bit… off." That sounded about right.

"It's nothing," he said. "Just thrown that's all. Romilda Vane was, eh… very forward."

"Not surprising," Neville replied. "Remember how she stalked you and asked you to the Yule Ball." Harry slapped a hand to his forehead.

"That was her?" He gasped. "I knew I recognised her." They had reached Slughorn's compartment.

"Is this it?" Neville asked nervously, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Looks like it," Harry said, glancing through the window. "I see Slughorn. And there's Ginny. I guess we know why she left Luna."

"Shall we go in?"

Harry nodded. He knocked and pulled open the door.

"Aha, Harry, you made it," Slughorn boomed as he looked up at the noise, rising to his feet and making the already cramped compartment even more so. "I was worried you wouldn't be coming."

"We just got the invites," Harry explained, showing him the small envelope he'd brought with him.

"Ah, yes, it was an unfortunate necessity," Slughorn admitted. "Usually I'd have the invites sent with the Hogwarts letters but due to the timing of my appointment…" Harry doubted that was an accident on Dumbledore's part. "Anyway, come on in, come on in. We're a bit cramped for space but you should manage to find a seat."

Harry did, right next to Ginny. Sitting down next to her, pressed shoulder to shoulder, it was the first time they'd come into physical contact with one another since the kiss. Ginny resolutely avoided his gaze and Harry, too, felt some awkwardness at being so close.

Everyone was fortunately distracted from this awkward exchange as, by Harry entering the compartment and sitting down, Neville had appeared into view.

"Ah, and you must be Neville Longbottom," Slughorn said warmly, surprising the boy who had been hoping to just slide into the seat next to Harry unnoticed.

"Yes, sir," Neville squeaked. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"And a pleasure to meet you, Neville," Slughorn said warmly, shaking his hand. "I must say I wasn't sure what to expect when I heard I would be teaching you but I recognised you instantly. You have a bit of your father in you, no doubt, but you've got that same warmth of your mother. Alice was such a caring soul." Neville blushed. He let out an indistinct murmur.

"Well, come on in, take a seat," Slughorn said. "We were just getting to know each other. I imagine you are probably quite familiar with some of your fellow students already."

That was an understatement. Apart from Ginny, squeezed up by Harry's side, there was also a Ravenclaw boy Harry knew by sight only, and three other students Harry was much more familiar with.

On Ginny's other side sat Cormac McLaggen, a tall, handsome bloke who had tried out for Gryffindor Keeper last year. However Harry knew he was far from a pleasant guy and that was indicated even further by the fact that Ginny had quite obviously made a space between the two Gryffindors, despite that pushing her further into the awkwardness with Harry. Harry could only wonder what he'd already done to cause such a reaction.

On the other side of the compartment, sitting next to the Ravenclaw boy, were two Slytherins. One of them, the dark skinned Blaise Zabini, kept an impassive look on his face as he was introduced, though Harry could see his eyes flicker to Harry and away again. The other, on the outside also keeping a neutral expression, was about as much of a friend in Slytherin as Harry had. Daphne Greengrass.

"And this is Marcus Belby, Ravenclaw seventh year," Slughorn finished the introductions. "We were just talking about his Uncle Damocles. Do you see much of him Marcus?" Belby shook his head.

"Not- not much, I'm afraid," he said, his voice a slight stutter. "He and my dad, well, they never got on. Old grudges, you know."

"Mm," Slughorn said understandingly but he didn't press on. Instead he turned to Cormac.

"Now you, Cormac, I know you spend a lot of time with your Uncle Tiberius. He sent me a picture of the two of you from your summer trip in Norfolk."

"Yes, we were tracking down Absol," Cormac said with a small smirk. "Uncle Ty is a brilliant tracker, taught me everything he knows over the summer. I'm planning to use those skills to my advantage next year. It was good training for Rhyperior, too. He's even more agile than before. Uncle Ty even suggested he'd be a perfect fit for being a Quidditch Keeper."

Harry tried to ignore just how obvious a hint this was. Cormac McLaggen had been beaten by Ron and his Machop, now a Machoke, in tryouts by a single save. Now in his last year he was obviously angling for a place in the team, and while it was unlikely Ron was going to be dropped it wasn't going to prevent McLaggen from attempting to usurp him. Harry wondered if McLaggen was aware he'd been made captain.

Slughorn, not aware of the history with McLaggen but more than enough in the loop with Hogwarts, turned to Harry with a very interested look. "Now you're captain of the Gryffindor Team, aren't you, Harry?" He asked. Harry nodded.

"A very good choice," McLaggen said in support. Harry had to refrain from saying anything.

"Indeed, well maybe you can see to it that Cormac gets a fair chance to show his skills before he graduates," Slughorn suggested. Harry gave a stiff nod.

"We've already got a keeper, Ron and Machoke were vital to our success last season," Harry said evenly. "Of course anyone from Gryffindor can tryout for the team."

"And I'm sure you will pick the best person for the job," Slughorn said confidently. "I've heard a little bit about the job you've done as Seeker. As a Slytherin through and through it is hard to see my old house take such a beating year on year but I bet even us Slytherin's can appreciate great quidditch when it's being played against us."

Harry doubted it, thinking of just how Draco Malfoy would react to hearing Slughorn's words, but he didn't say anything as Slughorn instead started talking to Zabini about his mother, apparently an expert potion maker, and the topic of Quidditch was quickly dropped.

They stayed in Slughorn's compartment for quite some time, far longer than Harry had anticipated when he'd accepted the invite, but it turned out that Slughorn was a far better conversationalist than Harry had given him credit for, and moreover that he'd done his research. After quizzing Zabini for a while he had then turned his attention to Daphne, asking about some famous and influential grandfather she had, before then moving on to Ginny, incredibly interested, it seemed, in the work of her brother Bill. He even made conversation with Neville about Herbology, telling him Professor Sprout had called him her best student, making the boy positively glow, before the meeting finally came to an end.

"My, would you look at how late it is," Slughorn exclaimed, looking out the train window at the darkening sky. "It shouldn't be long before we get to Hogwarts, you should be getting back to your compartments. But before you go, I have a quick announcement to make." Everyone paused, some of them half out of their seats as they jumped at the chance to leave, but eventually everyone settled down again as Slughorn straightened up.

"Over the course of my career at Hogwarts, many years ago now, it has to be said, I would often hold gatherings, such as this, to help bring together some of the best and brightest Hogwarts has to offer. Why, I believe it was Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies, who coined the name; Slug Club. Since then it's stuck."

"I hope I will see you all again very soon," Slughorn told them all with a smile. "In class, of course, but also in less… formal settings, so we may share and discuss and learn from each other, hmm. Now get along, not long left now."

Harry was grateful to finally leave. Along with Neville and Ginny he stood up and headed out the door.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

From last chapter's question of the day it seems like everyone has there own favourite region, the responses covering all the regions but two, which makes sense as everyone has their own personal story of their time with Pokémon.

We have a question of the day for this chapter too.

 _whitefri2z_ _:- ...As for a question, I guess it would be what is your favourite type ? Mine is Ice, because ... Reasons ? Which include Glaceon, but ... Meh. Plus, maybe, what's your favourite eeveelution ? Eevee included ?_

I've actually covered these questions in the past but to recap what I said there I picked Steel as my favourite type, though it was a very difficult decision. I believe I listed a whole bunch of other types I liked but thinking back I would give special consideration to Ground types.

As for my favourite eeveelution I went with Umbreon, and I stand by that, but I also really like Jolteon, Espeon and Glaceon. Design wise I feel like these are the best of the Eevee line, although it is hard to match up to the sheer cuteness of Eevee.

If you have any opinions on these questions please let me know. If you missed the questions when they were first asked, have changed your mind since then, or simply if you want to reiterate your preference then I would love to hear it. And don't hesitate to ask any questions you want to see answered in future chapters.

I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you in the next chapter.


	6. Choosing Sides

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

"Psst, Potter." Harry turned at his name, only to be met with the towering form of Cormac McLaggen as he pulled him aside. "Can I have a word with you?"

"Sure," Harry said warily. Neville and Ginny hovered behind McLaggen's back, looking uncertain. "What is it?"

"Well, I just wanted to formally congratulate you on getting captaincy," McLaggen said. "I'd assumed it would be Bell but I think this is much better."

"Katie would have done a great job," Harry said quickly.

"Sure," McLaggen agreed but he didn't sound particularly enthusiastic. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know if you need any help you can count on me."

"Eh, thanks," Harry said warily. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"Have you thought about when tryouts are?" McLaggen asked, confirming Harry's theory.

"No," Harry told him, bewildered. "I haven't even got to Hogwarts yet."

"Sure, of course, no worries," McLaggen said hastily. "I'm not rushing you, believe me. Take all the time you need. Just give me a heads up when you've decided, yeah?"

"I'll put a notice up in the Gryffindor Common Room, like usual," Harry told him. More and more Harry wished he didn't have to hold tryouts at all, but with nearly half a team to fill there was no way around it.

McLaggen grinned. "Great," he said, giving him a thumbs up. "I'll see you later, Harry." And he walked off down the train, nearly bulldozing Neville and Ginny over as he passed. Harry looked after him with a vague sickening feeling in his stomach.

"That git." It was Ginny who'd reacted first, and she was fuming. "What a slimy piece of work. He couldn't have been more obvious. I hope you're not thinking of letting him anywhere near the team, Harry." Harry grimaced.

"I can't stop him from trying out," he admitted. "No matter how much I want to."

"You'd be accused of favouritism," Neville agreed. "People will think you're just letting Ron on the team cause he's your friend."

"Then let them think that," Ginny said angrily. "Who cares what they think?"

Harry was tempted to agree. In all honesty, despite his assertions that he had to give McLaggen a chance, there was a fair bit of doubt in Harry's mind that he'd ever allow him on the team, no matter how good he was. Of course, it would make things a lot simpler if Ron could just beat him at tryouts.

Meanwhile Harry suddenly realised that this was the first time he'd properly spoken to Ginny since their kiss. In her anger she had apparently forgotten, at least for now, all about her deliberate attempts to avoid him, and Harry couldn't help but feel a faint glimmer of hope that somehow they might be able to get back to normal.

"Potter." Harry turned around.

Daphne Greengrass was standing there, staring at him with a firm gaze. She met his eyes as he turned and jerked her head towards a compartment next to her, her meaning clear. Harry turned back to the others.

"I'll see you back at the compartment," he told them. Both Ginny and Neville knew of Daphne's role in helping them form the DA last year and knew that she was on their side, though still they favoured her with nervous, distrustful gazes.

But there was no reason not to trust her, Daphne had proven herself loyal, or at least trustworthy enough not to turn on them, and so Neville and Ginny eventually turned down the corridor, glancing back over their shoulders as they went, as Harry turned back to Daphne.

"A bit risky, isn't it?" He asked. His gaze flickered from the girl to where her housemate, Blaise Zabini, was standing silently by her shoulder.

"I trust Blaise," she said, noticing his glance. "And I know you trust Longbottom and Weasley."

"And?"

"Inside," Daphne instructed, pointing into the compartment. Harry acquiesced, walking into the mercifully empty compartment and turning round just in time to see Daphne follow in after him, closing the door behind her and pulling down the blind.

"Blaise will keep lookout," she told him. "It's more dangerous than ever for people to see me associating with you."

"I agree," said Harry. "I'm surprised you approached me at all. You didn't even check the compartment, there could have been students in here."

"This is the prefect's compartment," Daphne told him simply. "I had it on good authority that it would be empty."

"Yeah?" Harry said doubtfully. "Whose authority was that?" Daphne favoured him with a long suffering look, and gently reached out one delicate, pale finger to tap at a green and silver badge adorned to her shirt. Harry blinked.

"Oh," he said, realisation hitting him and suddenly feeling very stupid. "Oh, sorry. Em, congratulations?" Daphne's lips twisted in a smirk.

"Thanks," she said dryly. "About a year late on the uptake, Potter, but you got there in the end." Harry flushed.

"Right, uh, so, what did you bring me here for?" He asked, trying to change the subject. It worked, Daphne's smile quickly evaporated.

"I needed to talk to you about our arrangement," she said shortly. "I hope you haven't forgotten your promise."

"That if you help me I'll do my best to look after your sister," Harry replied simply. He hadn't forgotten.

Daphne nodded. "In that case I need to know what you require from me," she told him. "What are your orders? What do you need me to do?" Harry blinked rapidly.

"Orders?" He repeated. "I'm not ordering you to do anything, Daphne, I'm not like that. I'm not like him. I'll ask for help when I need it but you don't owe me anything, except that you won't help Voldemort take over. That's why you helped me in the first place, because you didn't want to live under Voldemort's rule." Daphne shifted uncomfortably.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked. She didn't seem to be able to accept that she wasn't obliged to be helping him. Harry wondered just what her summer had been like. "Please, just tell me what you want me to do?"

"I don't know, do well on your grades," Harry suggested. "There's no dangerous mission or nefarious plot I need you to uncover. Just… keep your ears open, tell me if you hear anything suspicious. In the meantime perhaps you should allow yourself to just live a little. Study, train your Pokémon, spend time with your friends, maybe you can finally buck up the courage to talk to Seamus for once." That got Daphne's attention.

"Don't say another word, Potter," she hissed. "I do not, nor have I ever, had feelings for Finnegan."

"Well, we both know that's a lie," Harry retorted. She'd practically admitted it to him last year.

"Maybe that's what you think but never would I fall for anyone, not least a Gryffindor," Daphne spat.

"Prove it," Harry challenged. There was no way she would, no way she could. For every angry reaction Daphne had to the mere mention of Seamus's name Harry was more and more sure that, for some reason he'd never be able to quite understand, the ice queen of Slytherin had fallen for the hotheaded boy of Gryffindor. There was nothing she could do to convince him otherwise.

This belief was quickly put to the test. A moment later Daphne, her eyes blazing furiously, stepped forward, taking hold of a handful of Harry's shirt, and she pressed her lips roughly against his. Harry barely held in a squeak of surprise, unable to react as Daphne's lips moved forcefully against his own, pushing back with a violent passion that left him helpless.

Eventually Daphne pulled away, stepping back, her chest rising and falling with her heavy breathing, looking rather pleased with herself.

"What do you say now, Potter?" She gasped, her voice feverish. "Still think I have the hots for Finnegan?" Harry's mind was blank, her sudden move having completely overloaded his systems, but somewhere under his shock the connection between his mouth and his brain remained.

"Never been more certain." The victorious look was wiped from Daphne's face. She looked shocked, in disbelief, before the anger started to rise to the surface. Her eyes burned, her expression hardened, and she glared at Harry with honest to god hatred in her eyes.

"Argh!" She cried, a most un-Daphne-like sound, and she wheeled around in frustration, yanking the compartment door open and storming out, leaving a bewildered Blaise in her wake. The dark skinned boy looked to Harry, his eyes expressing a complete look of disbelief, and Harry could only give him an uncertain shrug before he too quickly followed after his housemate.

Harry stood in the compartment for a while longer, his mind reeling, not able to process exactly what had happened. Daphne had kissed him, and it was far different from the one they'd shared last year, when it had been Harry that had kissed her. She did not like him that way, the more Harry thought on it the more his words seemed to ring true, but his own feelings were so much harder to get a hold of. Did he like Daphne? Or was it simply the kiss talking, the act of intimacy that Harry had never properly shared, despite his experiences, with both being willing partners?

"Harry?" Harry looked up, surprised to find Professor Slughorn standing in the doorway to the compartment. "Harry, what are you doing here? I wasn't under the impression you were a prefect."

"Oh, I'm not," Harry said quickly, thinking on his feet. "I was looking for Ron and Hermione, they're the Gryffindor prefects. I thought I might find them here." Slughorn chuckled.

"No luck, I'm afraid," he said apologetically. "But you shouldn't worry about it too much. We're almost at Hogsmeade, you'll be seeing them soon enough at the start of term feast."

"You're right, sir," Harry said, trying to ignore the way Slughorn beamed at his words. "I'll just head back to my compartment and grab my things." And he left, hurrying down the train back to where he hoped to find his friends back in the compartment.

He was in luck. Not only were Neville and Ginny back beside Luna, also present were Ron and Hermione.

"Blimey, you've been ages," Ron said as Harry walked in. "What kept you? What did Greengrass want?"

"Nothing," Harry told him. That was true, in a way. "She was just wanting to know what she could do to help this year, seeing as we don't have Umbridge and the DA to worry about anymore."

"We're still doing the DA, aren't we?" Neville asked earnestly. "I loved training with you."

"I don't really see the point, to be honest," Harry admitted. "We can train together whenever we want now that Umbridge is gone."

"And I doubt Slughorn is the type to do the same as Umbridge did," Hermione said. "He's been appointed by Dumbledore, not the Ministry. There's no way he's another Umbridge."

"Still, I do miss the DA," Ron admitted. "I loved battling everyone."

"Me too," Luna said airily. "It was like having friends."

The compartment fell quiet at that. No one really knew what to say in response . It was such a Luna thing to say.

Harry hesitated. "Slughorn said we're almost there," he told them, although there was no doubt everyone already knew. "I'm just going to head off to the toilet. If I'm not back can someone bring my trunk?"

"Of course, Harry," Hermione said at once and Harry, smiling gratefully, quickly left the compartment.

The train was quite busy now, the students having noticed that the journey was almost over and were hurrying back to wherever they'd stored their trunks with others, like Harry, taking the opportunity to take a quick bathroom break before the start of term feast.

The first few toilets were occupied, and Harry was starting to reconsider as he felt the train start to slow down, before he finally chanced upon a free toilet and quickly slipped inside.

However, before Harry could close the door behind him someone else hurried in, pushing Harry back against the wall as they swung the door closed and locked it. Harry was far from pleased.

"What the hell?" He spluttered before he got a good look of just who it was that had rushed in after him. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco Malfoy was standing uncomfortably close to him, the bathroom much too small to account for two people, and he looked angry.

"Watch your back, Potter," he hissed, looking positively enraged. "Don't think you're safe here. Don't think you've escaped punishment for what you did to my father." Harry's anger flashed to match the blond boy's.

"Punishment?" He hissed. "Punishment for sending your father to where he rightfully belongs. Don't give me any of your shit, Malfoy, we both know that it is all Lucius's fault he ended up in Azkaban. Nobody forced him to join Voldemort." Malfoy flinched. Harry stepped forward.

"And if you were smart," Harry whispered. "You'd realise you've got a choice too. You can go down this path and end up the same as your father, or you can get out while you can. But just to warn you, Malfoy, if you do follow your father's footsteps I will not hesitate to kill you."

Malfoy sneered. "Why would I believe that?" He asked. "You couldn't kill me even if you tried."

Harry jerked forward, catching Malfoy by surprise, and though his hands automatically raised to protect his face Harry grabbed hold of his forearm instead, Malfoy hissing in pain as Harry applied pressure on it.

"Don't underestimate me, Malfoy," Harry threatened.

"Let go," Malfoy demanded, whimpering slightly as Harry's grip increased. Harry did, tossing Malfoy's arm away as if disgusted, Malfoy cradling it delicately to his body.

"I will never forgive you for what you did to Sirius," Harry told him, his voice deceptively calm. "But if you forsake Voldemort I won't go after you. But if you continue down the path you're on, if you join your father in Voldemort's ranks, then I will hunt you down for as long as it takes until you are hurt the same as how you've hurt me. That's a promise, Draco. Don't forget it." Harry reached past him and unlocked the door. "Go."

Malfoy did, backing away from Harry, his expression a mixture of fear and a stubborn refusal to show that Harry had got to him. He stumbled back into the crowd of students swarming the hallway, the train now having reach a stop, and disappeared from view.

Harry closed the door, shutting out the sound of the students disembarking and taking deep, steadying breaths. He had not meant to react like that, had been trying to move on like Remus had said, to give up on his anger and sorrow and allow him to live the life that Sirius had wanted for him. But Malfoy always knew how to push his buttons.

As the sounds from outside started to quiet Harry quickly ran his hands under the taps of the sink, splashing the cool water over his face. He was going to be late, soon enough the sounds from the platform were drifting away, but he knew that Ron and Hermione would have his stuff taken up to the castle. He sighed, straightening up from the sink and looking at his pale reflection in the mirror. How long would he continue to struggle like this?

The floor jerked underneath him, snapping Harry back to reality as he realised that the Hogwarts Express was starting to move again. He had not thought much about what happened with the steam engine between trips but apparently it didn't hang around and so Harry had to move quickly. He slipped out of the bathroom, noting the empty carriage, and hurried to the door, thankfully unlocked. Taking a deep breath, realising he had to move soon or he'd run out of platform, Harry jumped. He hit the ground hard, rolling to cushion the blow, and as he rose back onto his knees he watched as the Hogwarts Express disappeared off into the night.

"There you are, Harry, I was getting worried." Nymphadora Tonks was hurrying across the platform, instantly recognisable despite the fact her hair was now a neon green, and she looked incredibly relieved.

"Tonks?" Harry questioned. What was she doing here?

Whether guessing his confusion or just by coincidence, Tonks answered. "Mad-Eye stationed me here, wouldn't leave you without a guard until you were safely up at the castle. Course I thought he was being paranoid until I didn't see you come out with the others. You do know how to make an entrance."

Harry ignored that comment. He didn't want to get into what had made him so late.

"Anyway, let's not hang about clucking like chickens," Tonks said, helping Harry to his feet with a surprisingly strong pull. "Mad-Eye would do his nut if he saw us just chatting out in the open like this. Come on."

Tonks led Harry across the deserted platform, looking this way and that like an anxious mother hen, and hurried Harry over to the road that led up to Hogwarts castle, where a single Zebstricka pulled carriage sat waiting for them.

"I nabbed this one, just in case," Tonks said as she hurried Harry inside, looking round nervously before climbing in after him. Immediately the Zebstricka moved into action. "Wasn't sure what I was expecting to happen but it seems to have worked out for the best." She fell silent as the carriage started to move up the path, leaving Hogsmeade behind, and turned to look at Harry more closely. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harry muttered. "Just a lot on my mind." That was true. Between Malfoy and Daphne and Ginny and McLaggen Harry had more balls in the air than he could realistically keep track of, all of which had come to a head in some way or another in the last half hour. If the rest of the year was like this he'd be exhausted.

Tonks didn't seem particularly pleased with his answer, sensing, or perhaps having heard from Remus, that Harry had a lot more going on with him than he was letting on, but before she could speak the carriage drew to a stop, some way short of Hogwarts.

"What the?" She gasped, sticking her head out the carriage. "Oh no." Harry followed her out.

They had travelled all the way up to the front gates of Hogwarts, the castle within sight and standing majestically at the top of the hill. But their path had been blocked by a set of wrought iron gates, slammed shut in their faces.

"I guess it must be the new security measures," Tonks muttered. "Forgot about those. Umbridge may have been an evil hag but at least she put some real security in place, even if it was meant to catch Dumbledore rather than You-know-who."

"So what should we do?" Harry asked.

"Scale it," Tonks suggested. She grinned. Harry looked up to the tops of the gates, some feet above his head.

"Maybe not," he muttered.

"Maybe not," Tonks agreed. "Plus we need to get these Zebstricka back through. Don't worry, I've got a plan." She looked around at their surroundings, quite plain and devoid of features this close to the castle entrance, but in a nearby tree a HootHoot chirped. "Perfect. Let's go, Ditto."

The small purple Pokémon appeared in a flash of red light, blinding Harry slightly in the otherwise pitch black surroundings.

"I'll send word up to the castle," Tonks said, having produced a scrap of paper from somewhere and quickly scribbling on it. "They should be able to let us in. Ditto, transform into HootHoot and bring this up to the castle." A moment later Ditto, completely indistinguishable from any common HootHoot, was flapping its way up to the castle and soon had disappeared from sight.

"Useful Pokémon you've got there," Harry commented as he watched Ditto go. From what he remembered Ditto was the only Pokémon Tonks had, but if it could mimic any other Pokémon it saw then it was the equivalent to having hundreds, all in one easy to handle form.

"Too right," Tonks agreed. "The Pokémon he's transformed into over the years. Mostly common types; Pidgey's and what not. Pokémon like that tend to fly under the radar and get to places most auror Pokémon can't. I reckon that's why Mad-Eye has been so keen to keep me under his instruction. He knows an advantage when he sees one." Tonks turned to Harry. "Have I ever told you about the time Ditto transformed into Murk?"

"No," said Harry, thinking he'd certainly remember a story like that. "What happened? Did you trick Moody?"

"Oh, Mad-Eye saw through it immediately," Tonks told him. "Ditto did the transformation seamlessly but there's just something about the bond between trainers and Pokémon that makes them hard to trick, especially when they've been together as long as Mad-Eye and Murk have."

"So what happened?"

"Well, I thought Mad-Eye would get angry, he usually does when I pull something," Tonks told him, not looking at all concerned. "But this time he didn't say anything, he just left. Walked out through the whole department with two Murkrow on his shoulders, freaked everyone out. For months there were rumours that Murk was actually two different Pokémon and everyone was looking over their shoulders, worried that the other one was watching them. It was hilarious." Tonks glanced through the gates. "Ah, here we go."

From the far off castle a figure was approaching, and from their short stature Harry knew it was Professor Flitwick, long before the diminutive man was close enough for Harry to see his features in the light of his lantern.

"Hello there, Mr Potter," Flitwick said cheerfully. "And Ms Tonks, always a pleasure. I take it this HootHoot is in fact your Ditto."

"You got me," Tonks said with a grin. The Ditto in question fluttered from Flitwick's shoulder to return to its trainer, transforming back into the familiar purple blob as it settled on Tonks's shoulder. "So, can you let us in."

"Just give me a minute," Flitwick promised. And a minute later, as promised, Professor Flitwick had found the gate key from the many hung on the massive chain he carried with him and opened up the gate, allowing Harry to slip inside.

"I'll leave him with you then, Prof," Tonks said, hanging back as Flitwick relocked the gate. "See you around, Harry."

"Bye Tonks," Harry waved as the green haired trainer walked away, Ditto on her shoulder, and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

"Alright Mr Potter, let's get you up to the castle," Flitwick said energetically but he turned to the Zebstricka first. "And why don't you two head for the stables. I'm sure Hagrid will be relieved to see you." The two Zebstricka trotted obediently up the road, leaving Harry and Professor Flitwick alone.

They began to walk.

"Well, Mr Potter, I'm not going to ask why you're late," Flitwick told him. "I know well enough that the story is likely to be too sensational for me to believe. But I must say you had some of us up at the staff table worried."

"Sorry, Professor Flitwick," Harry said. He liked the Pokémon Statistics Professor, though as Head of Ravenclaw House Harry had very little to do with him outside of class time. In fact this might have been the first time they'd been alone together.

"No worries, my boy, I'm sure you had your reasons," Flitwick said genially, going to show why he was one of the most popular members of the Hogwarts staff. "I'm just glad nothing untoward happened. Wouldn't do to start the year off like that, would it?"

"No Professor," Harry agreed.

"And a very big year for you too, Mr Potter," Flitwick said. "First year studying for the SPAs, and Quidditch Captain to boot. Congratulations, by the way, I'm sure you're absolutely ecstatic."

"I couldn't believe it," Harry admitted. "I thought for sure Katie would get it."

"Well, Ms Bell of course would have made a good captain," Flitwick agreed. "But I know Minerva and I know that she knows her Quidditch. I expect big things from the Gryffindor team this year, though you'll have to forgive me for throwing my support behind my ravens."

"Of course, Professor," Harry said with a smile. Flitwick smiled back though Harry noticed he was breathing heavily. "Professor, are you alright?"

"Just fine, thank you Mr Potter," Flitwick told him. "Just out of breath. Hurrying all the way down here on my little legs can wind you."

"I'm sorry, sir," Harry apologised.

"Don't worry about it," Flitwick waved him away. "As long as you don't mind if I hitch a bit of a ride." He pulled out a Pokéball. "A little help, Magnezone."

From out of the Pokéball appeared an enormous steel bodied Pokémon, the being reminding Harry very much of the sort of spaceships seen on TV, so much so that he wondered if that had been the origin of the design. The Pokémon hovered over the ground, magnets poking out on three sides, two under the eyes and one at the back, and on top of its domed head sat a yellow lightning rod.

Harry pulled out his Pokédex, one of the first times he'd used it in quite a while, having thought he now recognised all Pokémon on sight, and pointed it at Flitwick's Pokémon.

"Magnezone, the Magnet Area Pokémon," the Pokédex said. "It evolved from exposure to a special magnetic field. Three units generate magnetism."

"I wouldn't mind a lift up to the castle, Magnezone," Flitwick said to his Pokémon and the steel and electric type gave a metallic murmur in response, lowering itself to allow Flitwick to climb atop. "Would you like to join me, Mr Potter?"

"Join you?" Harry asked, looking up to where Professor Flitwick was perched.

"On Magnezone," Flitwick said. "He can get us up to the castle in no time. Come on, climb up." Hesitantly Harry placed his feet on the edge of Magnezone's saucer-like body and stepped up, teetering unsteadily as he left the ground and quickly grabbing hold of the lightning rod to stop himself from falling over.

"Ready?" Flitwick asked amusedly as Harry lowered himself into a sitting position. Flitwick was seated dead centre of Magnezone's forehead, back to the lightning rod. "Hold on tight, things are about to get wild."

Harry barely had time to readjust his grip before Magnezone shot off, flying through the air with such speed that Harry would have fallen straight off had he not been holding on so tight. They soared up the hill, travelling almost at a forty-five degree angle, Harry's feet threatening to flail out behind him, before they levelled out once more and came to a stop by the front doors.

"Now, wasn't that fun," Flitwick said cheerfully, returning Magnezone to his Pokéball. "Nothing like a nice invigorating ride to wake you up after a long journey."

Harry agreed, it certainly was invigorating, though he'd stick to riding Charizard in the future. He was feeling slightly nauseated.

Harry and Flitwick quickly left behind the brisk September air, hurrying into the Entrance Hall and then from there into the Great Hall, where the rest of the school were waiting.

They weren't late, Harry was glad to see as he noted the absence of Professor McGonagall and the usual complement of first years in the hall, but Harry was certainly the last student to arrive and more than a few heads turned to him as he hurried down the Gryffindor table, seeking out Ron and Hermione.

"Where were you?" Hermione asked in a hushed whisper. "Why didn't you get a carriage back with all the others?"

"I'll explain later," Harry said. He really didn't want to get in to what had happened with Malfoy in the middle of the Great Hall with so many people trying to listen in. Automatically Harry's eyes flitted to the Slytherin table where he saw Malfoy, accompanied as always by Crabbe and Goyle.

Was it just Harry or did Malfoy look paler than usual?

Hermione wasn't quite willing to let things go but she was cut off by the arrival of the first years, led by Professor McGonagall, and Harry allowed himself to relax somewhat as he watched the traditional sorting ceremony, clapping politely whenever a new first year was sorted and particularly enthusiastically when they were sorted into Gryffindor.

Soon enough the students were all sorted and the Sorting Xatu was gone for another year as Professor Dumbledore stood up, beaming to the entire hall. Automatically Harry's attention fixated on his injured hand. It was hard to tell from this distance but it looked neither better nor worse from where Harry sat.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," Professor Dumbledore began as Harry allowed his eyes to wander along the rest of the staff table. There was nothing surprising there, the only new face being Professor Slughorn. But there was something unusual, something Harry couldn't quite put his finger on.

"I'd like to remind all students not to venture into the forest beyond the designated limits for your year group," Professor Dumbledore was saying. "And that no battles should be held anywhere inside the castle unless on a specialised battlefield."

Umbridge was gone, as Harry had expected, and so too was Professor Little, the Fortune Telling Professor the Ministry had forced upon Hogwarts after Trelawney had been sacked, and Professor Grubbly-Plank, who likewise had been brought in by McGonagall to cover for Hagrid. So what was wrong?

"I would also like to welcome back several old Professors of the school," Dumbledore continued with a smile. "Professors Trelawney and Hagrid will be returning to their posts this year for Fortune Telling and Pokémon Care." A ripple of applause sounded at the news. "And I would also like to welcome back a far less recent departure to the school."

And Harry suddenly realised the problem. He looked up at Slughorn and Snape, sitting together as all Potions and Battling Professors did, except this time they were the wrong way round.

"No," he gasped.

"Please give a warm welcome to Professor Slughorn as he returns as Potions Professor and give a warm congratulations for Professor Snape as he takes over the post of Pokémon Battling."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

We've got a question of the day for this chapter.

 _Aoi Usa :- ...Anyway I don't know if you answer this and I don't know if you watch the anime, but who is your favourite main Pokémon character in the series (you can choose the rivals too) and why?_

For me my favourite character would have to be Brock. I can't really explain why but I just loved seeing him and after travelling with Ash through the first four regions it seemed as though he was just always going to be there. He's always been the voice of reason and responsibility (with a few exceptions) and I think he was missed a lot in the Unova anime series.

What does everyone else think? Do you miss Brock too? Let me know in the reviews and if you have a question please let me know of that too.

I'll see you in the next chapter.


	7. The Ice Cave

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The new Pokémon Battling Professor was always a hot topic of discussion at the start of every new year, and it was more so for Snape. It had been well known that he had wanted the job, some even speculating that he'd threatened to resign if Dumbledore didn't give him the position, but Harry doubted that to be the case.

But why had Dumbledore given him the job? It wasn't like they'd ever had an excess of qualified candidates for the position in the past few years. That's how they ended up saddled with Umbridge, after all.

There was also the matter of the fact that Harry had been certain Slughorn was due to take up the battling post.

"I suppose he never specifically said what he'd be teaching," Ron reasoned over breakfast the next morning. "Pity that. The whole reason I dropped Potions was so I wouldn't have to see Snape's slimy face."

Harry supposed he really should have seen this coming, at least to some degree. After all, Slughorn didn't exactly look the battling type. Meanwhile Snape was one of the few people Harry would never be confident battling against.

It was a shame, like Ron said, that it meant he hadn't seen the back of Snape yet. Still, he couldn't be worse than Umbridge.

Harry was distracted by someone sitting down across from him and he looked up to find Katie Bell, seventh year Gryffindor Chaser and the last surviving member of the Quidditch team Harry had joined in his first year at Hogwarts.

"Harry, I'm glad I caught you," Katie said. "I was hoping we could talk Quidditch." Of course.

"I've been made captain," Harry told her, bracing for her response. "I know it should've gone to you but…" Katie waved him away.

"McGonagall picks captains," she said. "And given her track record in doing so I'm not going to argue." The last two captains, Angelina Johnson and Oliver Wood, had been cut from the same cloth, and both of them had won Gryffindor the championship.

"Anyway, it makes sense," Katie continued. "After the DA and everything last year. No, I just wanted to pass on some tips Angelina gave me over the summer." Harry leaned in, interested. However Katie was soon interrupted.

"Good morning, Harry. Bell." Cormac McLaggen had arrived at the Gryffindor House table and, without invitation, he sat himself down next to Katie. She ignored him.

"Angelina told me that we need to book the pitch for tryouts as soon as possible," she told Harry. "She said Slytherin like to book up all the slots early doors to try and force the other teams to have to wait before they can start practicing together."

"Cheating snakes," McLaggen added helpfully. "We'll see who's laughing when we knock the crap out of them on the pitch this year." Again, Katie ignored him.

"McGonagall's in charge of pitch bookings, apparently," she told Harry. "You should talk to her."

"Whoa there, Bell. Steady on," said McLaggen, giving Katie a look. "Let up a bit on the back seat captaincy. McGonagall chose Harry, not you." He glanced up at that moment, something catching his eye from down the table, before he turned back to Harry.

"I've got to head off," he announced, jerking his thumb down the table to where the seventh year Gryffindor boys were sitting. "This was fun. See you around, Harry." And he left, leaving silence behind him.

Harry sighed. "It's only the first day back and I already know he's going to be a problem." He looked up at Katie. "Thanks for the advice. I'll speak to McGonagall, maybe have tryouts this weekend if we can get the pitch. We need all the time we can get to bed in all the new players."

"McGonagall will be handing out our timetables soon," Hermione pointed out. Indeed, Professor McGonagall was visible down at the far end of the Gryffindor table. "You can talk to her when she gets here."

Harry agreed that sounded like a good plan and he contented himself with digging into his breakfast. Yet, glancing up at Katie brought a question to mind.

"Is McLaggen always like this?" He asked. "You're in his classes, aren't you." He really didn't know McLaggen outside their interactions the last two days.

Katie responded with a dull look.

"The sucking up is new," she said darkly. "But other than that it's classic Cormac. I swear the Sorting Xatu would have put him in Slytherin if it wasn't for the fact he doesn't have an ounce of cunning in him. Or subtlety."

"Sounds like a difficult person to get along with," Hermione said, looking anxious. "I would think you wouldn't want him anywhere near the team."

"We wouldn't," Katie agreed. "But he'd cause such a stink if he wasn't allowed to try out. He's such a diva." She sighed. "It'd make things a lot easier if you could just demolish him at tryouts, Ron."

"I'll try," Ron said, slightly pale. Harry was reminded of Ron's nervousness about trying out last year. It seemed a year in the team had failed to infuse him with confidence.

"I'm not worried," Harry said, and he meant it. "After the way you played last year there's no doubt you're the best keeper in the school. If it hadn't been for you Talonflame would never have caught the snitch against Ravenclaw in last year's final. If we want to hold onto the cup we need you in the team." Ron blushed at the praise.

"I'm glad to hear you're already planning ahead, Mr Potter." Professor McGonagall had reached them, her sudden presence causing them to jump. "For three years now you have kept the Quidditch Cup in my office, I trust you won't fail me now."

"No, Professor," said Harry. McGonagall nodded.

"Your timetable, Ms Bell," she handed Katie her timetable before turning her attention to the sixth years. "And you, Mr Potter? I have you down for Herbology, Physiology, Statistics, Battling, and Care, is that correct?" Harry nodded. "You wouldn't like to change, in light of recent events?"

It was a good question, Harry really not wanting to take a class with Snape, but at the end of the day Pokémon Battling was the one class Harry couldn't afford to drop. He shook his head.

"I'm with Harry," Ron announced and McGonagall nodded, pulling out two timetables and handing them to the boys before moving on to Hermione.

Harry and Ron examined their schedules.

"Pokémon Care first thing," Ron noted as McGonagall moved on, though not before instructing Harry to visit her office to sort out Quidditch schedules. "What a way to start."

Hermione bit her lip anxiously.

"I'm not taking Care this year," she admitted, though both boys already knew. "Do you think Hagrid will be angry?" Hermione was taking Potions and Ancient Runes in place of Pokémon Care and Herbology.

Harry and Ron were quick to assure Hermione that Hagrid wouldn't be angry, Harry certain that Hagrid would understand, especially with how well he knew Hermione. But still Hermione insisted on accompanying them down to Hagrid's hut to apologise in person, having a free period before their roles were reversed with the boys being free while Hermione went off to Potions.

Speaking of Potions.

"Harry, my boy," Slughorn boomed as they met in the Entrance Hall. "Ready for the day? And where are you off to?"

"Pokémon Care, sir," Harry answered.

"Of course, with Professor Hagrid," Slughorn said genially. "Well, don't take too long getting back, we have Potions just before lunch. Until then, Harry."

"But…" Harry tried to say but Slughorn was already gone, swept up in the wave of students heading off to class and disappearing into the dungeons.

"Wow," Ron muttered. "He did a whole little thing right there. Just wait until he sees you're not there in his class." Harry winced.

"I'll explain it to him," Hermione assured him. "He never told you he was Potions Professor. It would be unreasonable of him to be mad."

It was funny how Hermione was so ready to admit that when she was one hundred percent certain that Hagrid would be furious with her for not taking Pokémon Care. As it was she was wrong, as Harry and Ron had both assured her at least a dozen times on the walk down to Hagrid's hut, as Hagrid was not in the least bit surprised.

"I'm so sorry, Hagrid," Hermione repeated as she garbled her apology. "If I could have taken your subject as well as the others I would have but I really wanted to do Ancient Runes and I just couldn't drop anything else."

"Relax, 'Ermione. I understand," Hagrid told her soothingly, cutting off her ramblings. "Ter be perfectly honest I almost expected it. Yeh're a real smart girl, Hermione, yeh're perfectly suited to the tough subjects like Ancient Runes and Physiology. Yeh don't have ter apologise fer bein' smart." Hermione blushed.

"Still, I had to tell you in person," Hermione said. "I didn't want you to think I don't like your classes. You're a great teacher."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "That's why me and Harry are here, isn't it. Though no idea where everyone else is." For some reason it was only Harry, Ron and Hermione that were gathered round the front of Hagrid's cabin, not a single one of their classmates in sight.

"I suppose not many people wanted ter take me class," Hagrid said, trying to sound unconcerned but looking very disappointed. "It's a pity, I have so much good stuff planned… Oh, hang on, who've we got here. Looks like we've got another one on the way." From up at the castle they could just make out a figure rushing out the great oak front doors, moving hurriedly across the lawn to Hagrid's cabin.

Encouraged, Hagrid turned to Hermione.

"Yeh know," he said. "You have a free period now, don't yeh, Hermione. Why don't yeh join us fer the first lesson? I promise, yeh won't want ter miss this."

"I'd love to Hagrid," Hermione promised fervently. Hagrid beamed.

A moment later they were finally joined by the final member of the class.

"Cuttin' it a bit fine, aren't yeh, Mr Finnegan," Hagrid commented with a crinkled brow. Seamus bent over, hands on knees and out of breath, unable to answer. "Well, now yeh're here we can crack on. Follow me."

Hagrid had a paddock round the back of his hut where the majority of his classes were held but instead today Hagrid led the small group of students in a different direction, out towards the lake.

"Where are you taking us, Hagrid?" Harry asked curiously. Hagrid gave him a mysterious grin.

"You'll see, Harry," He promised. "It's a bit of a trip but you'll see. But first off, the lake. We need some transportation."

It was only a few moments later that the group finally came across Hogwarts' great lake and Harry saw what Hagrid meant. Floating on the water, just off shore, were at least a dozen Lapras. Waiting for them, apparently.

"I had expected more people," Hagrid admitted, stroking his beard as he surveyed the many Lapras. "For the five of us we'll just need a couple."

But Harry wasn't listening. While Hagrid was talking he'd approached the bank of the lake and one of the Lapras extracted itself from the pack to join him.

"Hey, Lapras," Harry said softly, running his hand across the Pokémon's smooth neck. "It's been awhile." Lapras crooned.

It had indeed been awhile. It had been over a year ago since Harry had last seen the water and ice type, the Pokémon he'd caught specifically to help him with the second task of the Tri-Pokémon Tournament. He'd said goodbye under somewhat false pretences, claiming he needed to stay with the school to help ferry the first years over at the start of every year, but really letting him go because of his firm belief that he was not cut out for the upcoming war. And he hadn't seen him since.

Lapras had changed since then. He'd been young when Harry'd caught him, not yet fully grown, but now he was near indistinguishable from the other Lapras floating out on the lake. Yet Harry had still recognised him, and Lapras had not forgotten Harry.

"I call shotgun," Seamus called, climbing upon Lapras's back, surprising both human and Pokémon. Harry blinked, looking around to find Ron and Hermione climbing onto a second Lapras's back, Hagrid coaxing a reluctant third to shore.

"We're headin' across the lake," Hagrid called over. "Get on, Harry. Yeh don't want ter be left behind."

Harry hurried to climb aboard Lapras's back, finding himself slipping comfortably into place like he did this all the time, his hand resting gently on Lapras's neck as he remembered fondly the last time they'd rode together.

"Everyone ready?" Hagrid called, now sat astride a Lapras of his own, making the Pokémon look comically small. "Then follow me." And they set off.

The journey across the lake went at a casual speed, the Lapras seeming to glide across the water as they headed towards the yet unknown location. Out on the calm water, not a human nor Pokémon in sight, the scene was peaceful.

Harry felt a nudge in his side. "Psst, Harry," Seamus whispered, his voice low as he clearly tried to avoid being overheard. "You know how to stop this thing?"

Harry frowned. Leaning forward he patted Lapras's neck, Lapras looking up at him in surprise before he started to slow. Up ahead Ron, Hermione and Hagrid continued onwards, unaware of their defection.

Harry turned to Seamus. "What's up?"

Seamus looked distinctly awkward, which immediately told Harry that this was important. He waited patiently for him to speak.

"Look, it's probably nothing," Seamus began. "I know I'm barking up the wrong tree but I've got to ask… I heard something, at breakfast, and I wanted you… wanted to hear your take on it, what you have to say… about it." Harry waited.

"Is there something going on with you and Daphne, I mean, Greengrass?" Seamus said, his words coming out in a rush. Harry froze.

"Where did you hear that?" He asked. If people knew Daphne was helping him…

Seamus fidgeted. "It was that McLaggen bloke," he admitted. "I heard him at breakfast. He was saying something about you and Daphne…"

"It was nothing," Harry said quickly. He knew what was bothering him now. "Daphne was just wanting to know how she could help, nothing like that happened." Of course, that wasn't strictly true, but that was besides the point.

Seamus looked relieved. "I thought it would be something like that," he admitted. "It's just the way McLaggen was talking about it… messed me up a little." Seamus fixed Harry with a sideways look. "I was just wondering if Daphne might, you know, be wanting to spend more time with you." Harry shook his head.

"Daphne doesn't like me like that," he assured Seamus with one hundred percent certainty. "Sometimes I wonder if we are even friends. Still, I'm worried. It won't be good for people to get word she's been hanging around with me. Hopefully, since it's McLaggen, they won't believe it."

Harry glanced ahead. Hermione, Ron and Hagrid were way off in the distance. "Come on, let's catch up. We don't want them asking questions."

Lapras put in the work to make up the ground on their companions, allowing them to catch up with nothing more than a few strange looks as they finally dismounted and landed on a rocky shore, seemingly cut off from all surrounding land but for a treacherous looking trail that disappeared towards the boundary wall.

"All here?" Hagrid asked as he took them in, dropping his enormous rucksack from his shoulder. "Good, then we don't need ter go askin' the Giant Tentacruel for any favours."

"Thank god," Ron muttered. "So what's in the bag, Hagrid? And why are we here?"

"That's a good question, Ron," Hagrid said, rummaging in the bag. "Here." And he threw Ron a puffy winter jacket.

"What's this for?" Ron asked, incredulous. It was September.

"Wearin', o' course," Hagrid told him, throwing three more jackets to Harry, Hermione and Seamus before swinging the bag back over his shoulder. "Now get those on an' follow me."

Hagrid didn't lead them far. Just a few feet along the rocky shore stood a small hole in the rock face, concealed from view, and Hagrid squeezed inside, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Seamus, now clad in their new winter coats, following behind him.

It was freezing inside. Though Harry had somewhat predicted it might be he was not prepared for the temperature to drop quite so drastically. The tunnel they were in was glistening in ice, the ground slippery underfoot, and immediately Harry's breath started to form before his face.

"H-hagrid?" Harry said, his teeth chattering. "What is this?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Hagrid murmured in response. "And don't touch anything. Got it?" Harry nodded, wondering what it was that was making Hagrid so cautious. And how he was coping without a jacket.

Hagrid led them down the tunnel, none of them speaking a word to each other as they followed, too focused on trying to stay warm as the tunnel got progressively colder with each passing step.

Hermione gasped. "Bergmite," she exclaimed and pointed. The tiny ice type Pokémon had appeared as if from nowhere, though they didn't appear to be paying them any mind as they wandered in amongst their feet, walking on ahead as the tunnel opened up into a massive cavern.

Harry's mouth fell open. From behind him he heard Hermione gasp, and Ron and Seamus swore. Hagrid beamed.

"Welcome, to the Ice Cave."

The cave was enormous. Despite the narrow and cramped tunnel that led to it the cave itself was large enough to house perhaps the whole of Hogwarts, with the ceiling a distant glistening rock face some way over their heads. Ice layered the whole cave, from the ground to the walls to the ceiling to the little outcroppings of rock that jutted out to form ledges along the walls.

But what truly made it incredible were the Pokémon. They were everywhere, filling ever nook and cranny of the great cave. Nearby a Cloyster sat by the wall, a family of Delibird nested up above it. A Dewgong poked its head out from a large pool of water and the Bergmite from earlier scuttled over to the hulking form of an enormous Avalugg.

Hagrid beckoned them onwards.

"Hagrid… how?" Hermione wondered, looking around the cave in shock. "How is this possible?"

"Marvellous, isn't it," Hagrid murmured. "An' I'll tell you how. Just remember, don't touch anything." And he led them forwards.

Sitting in the middle of the cave was a stone plinth, completely iced over and stuck fast to the cave floor. Hagrid gathered them round it, rubbing his hands together as it grew still colder, and they all looked down to where sat a stone of the purest snow white.

"This," Hagrid said reverently. "Is the Icicle Plate." His words reverberated in the silence.

"The what?" Seamus asked. Harry didn't know either, and looking round he saw that both Ron and Hermione were looking confused. But to Hagrid this was clearly something extraordinary.

"The Icicle Plate, Seamus," Hagrid repeated. "One of the seventeen plates held by the legendary Pokémon Arceus."

Hermione gasped. "Arceus?" She repeated. Hagrid nodded.

"Arceus is a Pokémon more powerful than any other," Hagrid told them. "Legend has it he created the world, all life a construct of his immense power. Whether it is true or not that Arceus is a god among Pokémon, among people, there is no denying its power."

Hagrid spread his arms wide, gesturing throughout the cave, and Harry looked around with newfound wonder.

"See that? Everythin' around us is the way it is because of this plate," Hagrid told them. "This plate has made this the Ice Cave, is the reason it's so cold. If it wasn't here this cave would be dull and grey, just like any other."

"Is it dangerous?" Hermione asked. Hagrid turned to her. "The plate… you said not to touch it." Hagrid shook his head.

"Nah, the plate won't harm yeh. It'd be a bit cold, that's fer sure, but that's not the reason I didn't want yeh to touch it."

"Why then?" Ron asked.

"Look around, Ron, and tell me what you see." Ron did, looking non-plussed, and even after a scan around the whole cave he had nothing. He frowned up at Hagrid.

"Pokémon," Hagrid said and instinctively Harry looked around at them. They didn't look very menacing, though there were a lot of them, and now that Harry was looking he noticed that they seemed to be watching them very carefully.

"The Icicle Plate makes this cave what it is, a nirvana for ice type Pokémon," Hagrid told them. "If the plate were to be removed the ice would melt, the temperature rise, and their home would never be the same again." Hagrid looked around sadly. "They would fight, fight to the death ter defend their home, and who could blame 'em. In a world conquered by man, where Hogwarts remains one of the few truly safe havens, let's give them this."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

There's no question of the day for this chapter so all I can say is please feel free to ask any question you want and I will endeavour to answer it.

Until next time.


	8. The Rebuild

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

"What a lesson," Ron murmured sometime later. They were sitting in the common room, all three of them taking advantage of their free period while many of their classmates went to Fortune Telling to start working on the assignment Hagrid had set for them. Or rather just set Harry and Ron. However the topic - the way the Icicle Plate influenced its surroundings - was much too interesting for Hermione to stop herself from joining in.

"Fascinating," Hermione agreed. "I'm really starting to regret not taking Pokémon Care. Do you think there are other Arceus Plates Hagrid knows about?"

"You can still come with us," Ron told her. "Hagrid wouldn't mind." Hermione bit her lip.

"I wish I could," she admitted. "But I've got a feeling I'll be too busy doing homework. I mean, Hagrid gave an assignment, which is so unlike him. And I've got an essay due for Potions already." She gave a sideways glance at Harry. "Professor Slughorn seemed very disappointed you weren't there."

Harry didn't know what to say to that, if there even was anything he could say. He had not known Slughorn would be teaching Potions, and should not be feeling guilty about getting his hopes up. Even if he had known he probably wouldn't have taken the subject anyway. Not if it meant dropping Pokémon Care.

A clattering sound was heard from the dormitories.

"What are you still doing here?" Seamus had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, throwing the three of them a weird look. "We've got Pokémon Battling in a minute."

"Not yet we don't," Ron responded.

"Yeah, we do," Seamus told them. "Haven't you guys been checking the time?"

Ron shrugged. "Not really," he said casually. "We were just waiting for everyone to get back from Fortune Telling." Hermione checked her watch.

"Oh no," she moaned, confirming Seamus's claim and starting to panic. "He's right. We're going to be late."

"But where is everyone?" Ron asked as Hermione started frantically shoving books into her bag.

"That doesn't matter now. Oh god, we're so late." Hermione was beyond panicked.

"They're all coming down from North Tower," Seamus pointed out, as though it was obvious. "Of course they won't be coming back here. They'll have just brought their books with them."

"Shit!"

Harry, Ron and Hermione rushed to get their things together, Seamus leaving them behind with a 'good luck', and hurried quickly out the common room and down towards the Pokémon Battling classroom.

"You're late," Professor Snape greeted them with a sneer. "Ten points from Gryffindor. Now sit down."

They weren't that late, Harry noticed, several of their classmates were still pulling out books and paper, but Harry knew better than to talk back to Snape. And so he bit his tongue, taking one of the remaining desks, unfortunately far from Ron or Hermione. The classroom was packed.

At the front Snape strode forward with a sneer.

"Welcome to SPA Pokémon Battling," he introduced with an expressionless visage. "This year it is my task to raise the standard of battling in this class to a level appropriate for those starting an SPA level course, so that you have some hope of actually passing your seventh year examinations, if you make it that far." The class was silent.

"Due to the ineptitude of my predecessors students have been allowed to join this class with little more than an Exceeds Expectations. I warn you, if you are among these people you have a long way to come and I will not accept past ineptitude as an excuse for future failure."

That was harsh from Snape. Most people in this class had most likely received an Exceeds Expectations, including Hermione. And if you were getting the same grade as Hermione you must be doing something right.

Snape, it seemed, was finished with his introductions.

"Open your books to page thirty-six," he instructed, the sound of turning pages filling the room. "Today we will be discussing entry hazards. Potter, what is the definition of an entry hazard?"

The whole class fell quiet. Harry grit his teeth.

"A move like Stealth Rock," he said shortly. It was the only entry hazard he knew. Snape smirked.

"A move like Stealth Rock," he repeated with derision. "Yes, Potter, what a marvellous definition for entry hazards. A move like Stealth Rock." Snape approached Harry's desk. "Would you like to try that again?"

Harry fought hard not to say something he'd later regret.

"A move that damages opposing Pokémon upon entering battle," he said eventually. Snape's smirk faded ever so slightly.

"Yes," Snape said reluctantly. "To an extent that is barely scratching the surface but fundamentally not wrong." He returned to the front of the class.

"Entry hazards refer to a class of moves that can be used to damage, inflict status conditions, or influence stats of all entering Pokémon of the opponent," Snape explained, beginning to pace across the front of the class. "For causing damage you have, as Potter so wisely alluded to, Stealth Rock, as well as Spikes. For status the move Toxic Spikes will poison incoming Pokémon. Lastly Sticky Webs can be used to slow down opponents entering battle."

Snape paused.

"These moves have obvious benefit and are a must for anyone wishing to battle competitively," Snape told them. "However, they can be countered. Rapid Spin and Defog are both moves that can remove all forms of hazard. Similarly Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Webs can all be avoided by remaining airborne. Toxic Spikes cannot affect steel type Pokémon and become absorbed upon contact with a grounded poison type." He stopped.

"I hope you're all taking this in, it will be tested in you end of year examinations." The rustle of hasty scribbling filled the room.

Though Harry was loath to admit it the lesson proved to be very informative. Snape really knew his stuff. It didn't quite make up, however, for Snape's unrelenting desire to embarrass Harry in front of the class. It made Harry for the first time want to do a Hermione and make sure he read the textbook cover to cover before the next class.

The rest of Harry's classes went on as usual, though at the start of each one was the same lecture about just how important the SPAs were. After hearing it so many times it started to get repetitive.

In fact, the subject that worried Harry the most was one he wasn't even taking. And that, was Potions.

According to Hermione, the only one of the three to take the class, Professor Slughorn could not get over the fact that he wasn't getting the chance to teach him and Harry was sure it was just a matter of time before the rotund professor caught up to him.

Which he did on Saturday morning as Harry made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Harry, my boy. There you are." Harry had to hold back a curse as Slughorn appeared as if from nowhere in the Entrance Hall, arising from the darkness of the dungeons.

"Hello Professor," Harry greeted him.

"Not so much to you, eh, Harry," Slughorn commented shrewdly. Harry decided there was no point beating around the bush.

"I'm really sorry I'm not taking your class, Professor," Harry told him.

"Are you?" Slughorn said doubtfully.

"I didn't realise you taught Potions, sir," Harry told him. "I thought you were the new Pokémon Battling Professor."

"Ms Granger did mention that," Slughorn grumbled reluctantly. "I suppose that was a reasonable assumption… my fault really for not clarifying. But it is such a shame. Your mother was such a talented potioneer, I'm sure you're much the same."

"I'm not so sure about that," Harry admitted, smiling slightly at some of the disasters he'd had over the years. "I'm not really good at Potions. Hermione is though. She's the best, actually. The smartest trainer in the year."

"That's high praise, Harry," Slughorn said. "Mind you, from what I've seen so far from Ms Granger you are not embellishing."

"Not at all, sir," Harry told him honestly. Slughorn seemed to accept that.

"Well, while it is unfortunate you are not taking my class I don't think anyone will have a problem with a little friendly advice outside of class hours," Slughorn said mischievously. "I've got a number of potions downstairs that I think you'd be very interested in, Harry. Not to mention a Grumpig who's been on my case to have you drop by. In fact, now would be perfect if you had the time."

Harry gave a slightly relieved smile as he, rather fortunately, did not have the time.

"I'd love to, sir, but I'm afraid I can't right now," he said apologetically.

"Oh?" Said Slughorn.

"Quidditch tryouts," Harry explained. Understanding dawned on Slughorn's face.

"Of course," he said. "Say no more, Harry."

"I would like to see Grumpig sometime," Harry told him, and he meant it. "I just can't today." Slughorn waved him away.

"I understand, I understand," he assured him. "You've got a busy day ahead of you. Now, am I remembering correctly that Cormac is trying out." Harry wondered when Slughorn had got on first name terms with McLaggen.

"I don't know," Harry told him. A boldfaced lie.

"Hm, well, if he does tryout I'd keep an eye on him, Harry," Slughorn suggested. "I may be a Slytherin but the boy has talent, that is clear to see. Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. Good luck at tryouts."

"Thanks, Professor," Harry said, relieved to be watching as Slughorn wandered into the Great Hall. Avoiding him all year was going to be exhausting.

"Hey Harry, what kept you?" Ron had appeared from the Great Hall, a slice of toast in hand. "I thought you'd be down ages ago."

"I got held up," Harry explained, checking his watch and cursing. He was in danger of being late for his own tryouts. And he hadn't even had time for breakfast. "Slughorn caught me."

A look of understanding crossed Ron's face.

"Tough luck, mate," he said as the two of them stepped out the great oak front doors onto the castle lawn. "Nearly lasted a week. But you know what Hermione's been saying."

"He's on the warpath," Harry recited. "She was right, too. If it wasn't for tryouts I'd probably be spending the day with him."

"There's something just a little creepy about that," Ron noted as they reached the Quidditch Pitch and stopped. "Guess this is it."

"See you inside," Harry told him and, while Ron headed through and straight onto the pitch, Harry walked into the Gryffindor changing room. Unlike with previous tryouts there was only one person there.

"Hey Captain." Harry rolled his eyes.

"I think you're the last person who should be calling me that, Katie," Harry told her, walking up to his locker and pulling out his kit. "You've been here longer than I have."

"By about a week."

"Still counts." Harry pulled his quidditch jersey over his head before turning to his only surviving teammate. Already changed, she was sitting there quietly. "You alright?"

Katie started. "Oh, yeah," she said with a small laugh. "It's just weird, you know, not having Angelina and Alicia around."

"Or Fred and George," Harry agreed. The locker room was shockingly quiet without them. "I get what you mean. It won't be so bad once we get Ron and Ginny back but…"

"We're still the veterans," Katie finished for him. "There's just something different between us and them." Harry favoured Katie with a fond look.

"It's been a great five years," he told her. She smiled back.

"Let's make it a great six."

Harry grinned. He closed his locker and, as he did so, Katie rose to her feet.

"Let's go."

The two of them walked out onto the sunlit Quidditch pitch, shielding their eyes as they stepped out and looked upon the familiar field.

The trialists were waiting near the entrance, gathered in one big group, and as Harry and Katie approached they fell quiet.

Harry clapped his hands together.

"Okay," he said. "Welcome to tryouts. As you know we've got a lot of spaces open this year with last year's graduations so first thing we're going to do is split you up into groups." Harry paused. "Now, is anyone trying out for Seeker?"

A single hand raised. Harry rolled his eyes. "Put your hand down, Seamus." There was some nervous laughter as the grinning sixth year did so.

"Okay, I know we've got people for all the other positions," Harry continued. "So if we could have the Beaters in a group on the left, Keepers on the right, and Chasers stay where you are in the middle." The trialists started to shuffle round and Harry watched as they quickly split into three groups.

The largest group was the Chasers, though Harry knew none of them by name other than Seamus, easily the oldest of the group, and Romilda Vane, sweeping her hair back over her shoulders and sticking her chest out confidently.

The Beater group noticeably contained last year's Beater pairing of Ginny and Andrew Kirke, and they were joined by Dean and another boy Harry had never met.

Ron and McLaggen stood alone in the Keeper group, joined briefly by a tiny second year before the boy hurried back to his friends in the Chaser group, looking up at the intimidating form of Cormac McLaggen with wide eyes.

Harry turned to Katie.

"Decent numbers," he murmured, keeping his voice low so only she could hear him. "We could do a match. Rotate players." Katie nodded. Harry turned back to the trialists.

"Okay, so what we're going to do is have a practice match," Harry told them. "We've got enough for two teams but we have a few too many Chasers so we're just going to have to rotate, and I'll be switching up the teams anyway to see how well each of you work together. Ron and McLaggen, go to your goalposts." The two boys went their separate ways, though not without a few choice words muttered under their breath. Harry turned to the remaining trialists.

"Okay, Ginny and Andrew, you go with Ron," Harry told them. "And Dean and… what's your name?"

"Peakes," the boy said hurriedly. "Jimmy Peakes."

"You'll start with McLaggen," Harry told him. He turned to Katie. "Do you want to join the Chasers?" Katie shook her head.

"I know what I'm looking for," she told him. Harry nodded.

"Okay, Seamus, grab a couple of people and go down that end and the rest of you decide upon three to go down the other." The remaining trialists hesitated. "I don't care who goes, you'll all get playing time," Harry promised. "Just pick three players and go." And Harry left them to it.

Katie had already left by the time Harry had finished splitting up the Chasers, placing the Quaffle down in the centre of the pitch for the start of the match. They would be watching the game from up high, one of the hot air balloons used to carry the Seekers during a match waiting for them by Ron's end of the pitch.

Harry climbed in and Katie started to direct them into the air.

"Ready?" Harry asked. In response Katie handed him a megaphone. He turned back to the players down below and raised the megaphone to his lips.

"Okay, this is how this is going to work," he called over them. "When I call out for someone to switch out for another player or swap teams you do as I tell you. If you don't then you might as well leave as you're not getting on the team. We'll keep this going until we've seen enough and then the tryouts will finish. Begin." And with a slightly hesitant start they did.

Harry set the megaphone down and watched. A soft breeze wafted by him.

"So," he said, speaking to Katie but keeping his eyes on the pitch. "You said you know what you're looking for. What is it?" Katie took a moment to respond.

"There are three types of Chasers," she said eventually. "The facilitator, the allrounder, and the striker. You need all three to have a well-balanced, cohesive unit."

Harry glanced over. "Go on."

"Hitmontop is a facilitator," Katie explained. "His skills lie in retrieving the Quaffle and passing it on to his teammates to start an attack. He's not going to be scoring many goals but then he's not supposed to. His job is to provide the defence that allows the other two to attack."

"On the other end of the spectrum you have the striker," Katie continued. "For us it was Hitmonlee. A Pokémon with the ability to strike the Quaffle with power and accuracy that will usually score most of the goals. But they are usually quite frail, the exact opposite of the facilitator."

"Then you've got the allrounder."

"Lopunny," Harry concluded.

"Exactly," Katie told him. "The allrounder is exactly as it sounds, a Pokémon with the ability to attack and defend, bridging the gap between the facilitator and the striker. It is probably the most important member of the Chaser trio. Certainly without Lopunny Hitmontop and Hitmonlee would have struggled."

Harry considered this thoughtfully. He lifted the megaphone.

"Okay, can I have Seviper on for Pancham," he called. "Geodude on for Golduck, and could Gligar and Braviary please switch." The Pancham and the Golduck trainers disappointedly called their Pokémon off the pitch, predicting, correctly, that they had failed to impress. Meanwhile Andrew Kirke and Jimmy Peakes hurried across the pitch to switch places, Kirke's Gligar now paired with Dean's Glalie, Peakes's Braviary joining Ginny and her Gengar.

It wasn't until today that Harry had realised Haunter had evolved.

"Beater choices seem decent," Katie commented. "Braviary and Glalie were giving Gligar and Gengar a hard time."

"I'll switch Glalie with Gengar next time," Harry told her. "I want to see who partners best with Ginny."

"You should think about whether to use Glalie and Braviary together," Katie commented. Harry frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"That perhaps Peakes and Thomas are a better pairing than either of them are with Ginny," Katie told him. "I love Ginny, she's great, but I know you love Ginny too and you can't just pick someone because they're your friend. You've got to pick what's best for the team."

"You think Ginny isn't good enough?" Harry asked, shocked.

"I think she is but we do have two other strong candidates for the position," Katie said. "And we have to remain unbiased." She sighed. "I'm not saying don't pick her but we need to keep an open mind. This isn't something we've had to deal with before. Wood never had to say no to his friends and Angelina took over an established team."

"So don't just pick my friends, is what you're saying," Harry summed up.

"Pick the best players," Katie told him. "And for the record it does seem as though your friends are the best. Finnegan in particular."

Harry looked down at the pitch. Seamus's Infernape was running around like a madman, getting involved in everything and completely overwhelming most of the competition.

"Reminds me of Lopunny," Katie said. "I can work with that. We just need a striker."

"Anyone stand out?" Harry asked.

"Mienfoo," Katie said. "Aipom's scoring but… it might just be playing with Infernape is making it look better than it is." Harry raised the megaphone.

"Okay, let's have Golduck back in for Tyrogue, Pancham for Geodude, and can Aipom and Mienfoo switch places." Harry paused. "Also can Glalie and Braviary switch." He leaned back as the trialists hurried to follow his instruction and as he did so his eyes fell on the keepers. For the most part they hadn't faced much of a challenge.

"What about Ron?" Harry asked. Katie raised an eyebrow. "You want him on the team, no matter how good McLaggen is."

"That's because it's McLaggen," Katie pointed out. "He's a piece of work, you barely know the half of it. I'd rather play with no Keeper than have him on the team."

There was a commotion down below.

"What the…?" Harry muttered. The game had come to a halt, the Pokémon playing now just standing around on the field awkwardly as Cormac McLaggen marched the length of the pitch. "This doesn't look good."

Katie began to lower the balloon.

"What were you doing?!" McLaggen was shouting as Harry and Katie made it to the ground. He was towering over Ginny who, to her credit, wasn't backing down. McLaggen's face was burning a furious red and spit flew from his mouth. He seemed to be just getting started.

"What's going on?" Harry cut in. McLaggen turned to him.

"Weasley had her Gengar use Hypnosis on Rhyperior," he complained, pointing across the pitch to where the enormous Rhyperior was sprawled out in front of the goalposts, snoring loudly.

Harry considered him.

"Was the Quaffle in the scoring area?" Harry asked. Cormac looked flustered.

"What?"

"If the Quaffle was in the scoring area then that means that Beaters are allowed to attack the Keeper with any move they want," Harry told him. "Those are the rules."

"What… I don't…" Cormac spluttered.

"Seamus?" Harry asked, turning to his dorm mate. "You were close."

"Scoring area, mate," Seamus told him. As Harry had expected. He turned back to McLaggen.

"There you go," he said simply. "Now why don't you go back to your side of the pitch."

But McLaggen outright refused.

"She's cheating," he scowled, pointing an accusatory finger at Ginny. "She's targeting me to try and get her brother on the team."

"Of course she's targeting you, McLaggen. She's playing against you." Harry had had enough. "If you are going to complain because you didn't have the awareness to avoid a perfectly legal attack then I don't see any place for you on my team. Please leave."

McLaggen looked furious. For a moment Harry thought he was going to attack him, and his hand moved to Charizard's Pokéball, just in case. But it did not come to that. McLaggen turned on his heal and stomped away, returning to where Rhyperior still slumbered, and Harry let out a small sigh of relief.

"I think that's all for tryouts," he said. With only one Keeper their drill was pointless. "Could the trainers of Machoke, Gengar, Glalie, Braviary, Infernape, Mienfoo and Aipom please stay. The rest of you, thank you for trying out."

The rejected trialists left dejected, none more so than Andrew Kirke as he recalled his Gligar and slouched away.

As they left Ron clapped Harry's shoulder.

"Good stuff, taking care of McLaggen like that," he told him. "I was getting worried, his Rhyperior was good."

Harry shrugged. "To be honest I expected something like this to happen," he admitted. "McLaggen just can't stand admitting that he's not the best at something." He turned to the remaining trialists.

"Good work," he told them. "You've all done really well. I'm confident of our chances this year." The trialists shifted nervously. They were well aware that there was more of them than there were places available.

"Ginny and Seamus," Harry said, causing them to start. "Both of you are on the team." Relieved looks crossed their faces. Harry turned to the Mienfoo and Aipom trainers. They were two girls, younger than the rest and presumably in the same year too. "You are…?"

"Demelza," the brunette answered, owner of the Mienfoo. The blonde blushed.

"Anna," she replied quietly. Harry nodded.

"Both of you were good," Harry told them. "The reason we switched you at the end was to see how Mienfoo would work with Infernape. I think you've both got potential and would like both of you to train with the team." The two girls beamed. "This is Katie's last year so even if you don't get a shot this year then you'll be in a good position to take over from her next year."

Now it was time for the tough one.

"I couldn't choose between you," Harry told Dean and Jimmy Peakes. "Both of you were excellent and both Glalie and Braviary have a unique set of skills that I think work well with Gengar." He paused. "If you don't mind I'd like to choose between you on a game by game basis." Harry looked between them.

Dean grinned. "Don't mind at all," he said.

"Same here, coach," Jimmy Peakes said excitedly. Harry smiled.

"In that case our first training session is Tuesday," Harry told them. "Until then, congratulations."

The successful trialists, now Gryffindor team members, grinned to each other, talking in excited whispers as they started to leave the field.

As they did so a young boy, Gryffindor scarf round his neck, hurried onto the pitch. Harry frowned.

"If you're here for tryouts you're too late," Harry told him but the boy shook his head.

"I was asked to deliver this letter to you, sir," the boy said, and he held out a sealed plain white envelope. Harry accepted it, confused.

"Thank you," he said and the boy scampered off.

"What is it?" Ron asked, last one to leave.

"Not sure," Harry muttered and he opened the envelope to reveal a letter inside, the words written in very elegant cursive handwriting.

 _Dear Harry,_ it read.

 _I would like to start our private lessons tonight, if you are not too tired out by Quidditch tryouts. If so, please kindly come along to my office at eight p.m._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Albus Dumbledore._

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

There's no question of the day for this chapter. If you have a question then please let me know.


	9. The Gaunts

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

It was needless to say that Harry couldn't concentrate on anything else for the rest of the day. Not his excitement for his Quidditch team or the homework Hermione insisted he had to do could distract him from the meeting with Dumbledore later that night.

And so it was, at five minutes to eight, that Harry was standing outside Dumbledore's office door. He knocked.

"Enter," Dumbledore's voice called from within and Harry walked inside.

"Ah, Harry, you're early." Dumbledore's office was just as Harry remembered it, filled with books and odd knickknacks, with Dumbledore himself seated behind his desk.

"Sorry, sir," Harry muttered.

"There's no need to apologise," Dumbledore assured him. "I am just as eager as you are. Please, take a seat. I trust tryouts went well?" Harry nodded, taking the offered chair across from Dumbledore. "And your classes?"

"Good," Harry told him. "Battling was a bit…" he tailed off. "But Pokémon Care was good."

"So I heard," said Dumbledore, a sparkle in his eye. "Hagrid told me he was planning on showing you the Ice Cave. Tell me, what did you think of it?"

"It was amazing," Harry said honestly. "I've never seen anything like it. I can't believe that all that came from a simple plate, even if it did belong to a legendary Pokémon."

"You know, at times, neither can I," Dumbledore said with a smile. "But, forgive me, Harry, while I would like nothing more than to spend the evening discussing the wonders of the Arceus Plates we have other, more pressing, matters to attend to." Harry straightened up.

"I'm sure you must have been wondering what exactly I would be teaching you in these meetings," Dumbledore told him. "But before I explain any further we must first ask for some assistance." Dumbledore pulled a Pokéball from his belt.

A black and blue Pokémon appeared on the desk, one Harry remembered well from the end of last year. His stomach clenched tightly.

"I am sure you remember Riolu," said Dumbledore. Harry nodded. "He is going to be of great help with what we'll be doing here."

Harry turned his gaze to Dumbledore. "How so?" He asked.

"Through the use of aura," Dumbledore told him and he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled from within a glittering blue object. A time plant.

Harry's breath caught.

"Are you alright, Harry?"

Harry looked up. Both Dumbledore and Riolu were looking over at him with concern, the look much more pronounced in the small fighting type Pokémon. Harry remembered Dumbledore telling him how Riolu could sense other being's feelings.

He pulled himself together. "I'm fine," he said, trying to project confidence. "Just shocked, that's all." Dumbledore nodded understandingly.

"My apologies," he said sincerely. "I should have given you fair warning. I forgot your most recent experiences with this particular time plant." Harry swallowed.

"So you're showing me memories, then?" Harry said, trying to push the conversation forward. Dumbledore regarded him for a second longer, before nodding.

"Yes, I am, or more accurately Riolu is," Dumbledore told him. "I could operate the time plant myself but there is much I wish to show you and I believe it best for you to see these memories in a very specific order, hence why I have asked Riolu to be here."

"So what are you going to show me?" Harry asked.

"To start," Dumbledore responded. "I will begin at the beginning. And that is with a family that went by the name of Gaunt."

"Gaunt?" Harry repeated.

"Gaunt," Dumbledore confirmed. "Marvolo Gaunt, his son Morfin, and his daughter, Merope."

"I've never heard of them," Harry said.

"Nor am I surprised," was Dumbledore's response. "It has been a long time since they played a productive role in Pokémon society, the generation before Marvolo to be exact. But it is here where our story starts." Dumbledore paused.

"Marvolo Gaunt was a proud man," Dumbledore stated. "That pride did not lie in his wealth, for he had none, or his abilities, of which he was also lacking. No, Marvolo's pride lay in his heritage as the last decedent, along with his son and daughter, of Salazar Slytherin." Harry gaped.

"So wait, if he was the last dependent of Slytherin…" Harry started but Dumbledore held up a hand to quiet him.

"We will get to that," Dumbledore told him. "But first we must take a look at the experiences of one Bob Ogden."

"Bob Ogden?" Harry questioned. Where had this name come from?

"Bob Ogden was a longtime Ministry worker who, although no longer with us, was willing to sit down with me many years ago to talk about a trip he made to the Gaunt household." Dumbledore turned to Riolu and gently inclined his head.

Riolu stepped forward and Harry braced himself for what was about to happen as Riolu stretched out a paw towards the time plant. His ears floated up into the air and, as the jackal Pokémon's paw touched the plant, a pulse of blue energy engulfed the office as a scene appeared before them.

They were in an office, though not as large as Dumbledore's. It was quite small and stuffy, filled with many filing cabinets along the walls overflowing with paperwork and a large desk, behind which sat a short, plump man with thick glasses and the last remnants of what would previously have been a full head of hair.

He peered upwards from where he sat as Albus Dumbledore strode into the room, looking no different from the man sitting across from Harry now, barring the damage done to the present day's Dumbledore's hand.

"Why, Dumbledore, as I live and breath," the man, Ogden, Harry assumed, said with a wheezy chuckle. "What a surprise to see you."

"I did make an appointment," Dumbledore replied genially.

"Even so, I am shocked," Ogden replied. "Sit down, Dumbledore, make yourself comfortable, if you can make yourself comfortable in this mess, at least."

"I think I'll manage," Dumbledore said with a polite smile. He took a seat. "I would just like to thank you for taking the time to meet with me."

"Nonsense," Ogden told him. "It is an honour. So, tell me, what can I do for you?"

Dumbledore smiled. There was a short, almost unnoticeable, pause and Harry became under the impression that Dumbledore was steeling himself for the conversation he was about to have.

"I came to ask you about an old case of yours," Dumbledore told him. "I know you may not remember, it was awfully long ago, but if you might have anything you could tell me about the Gaunts I would be most grateful." Ogden snorted.

"The Gaunts?" he repeated. "Of course I remember, how could I forget? In all my years I have never seen a family so messed up. Some cases come and go and become forgotten but the Gaunts… I don't think anyone who met them could easily forget."

"I was wondering if you could tell me what happened when you were called out to deal with them," Dumbledore prompted gently. "I've read the reports but I feel that speaking to you might offer some fresh insight."

"Well, I don't know, Dumbledore, I reported everything all those years ago," Ogden said. "But I suppose it can't hurt. Alright then, well, I suppose you know why I went. The boy, Morfin, was causing trouble with the local muggles. The muggle authorities wanted us to step in, or they would, but we decided to try diplomacy first, for all the good it did us. So, I travelled down to Little Hangleton."

"And went to the Gaunt House," Dumbledore prompted.

"If you could call it a house," Ogden countered. "Shack, more like it. Positively primitive. No electricity or gas, no form of heating or lighting, no running water. The building itself looked ready to fall down at any moment."

"And the Gaunts?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Well, that was the worst of it," Ogden said. "The father did not seem to even notice the squalor in which he lived. The son wasn't much better either."

"And the girl?" Ogden sighed.

"Scared, Albus," he said. "Frightened. Terrified of her own shadow, and with good reason. I can't even begin to imagine what her life must have been like but from what I saw…" Ogden rubbed at his eyes under his glasses. "I'm sorry but I have never seen someone in such a desperate situation. She was trapped, trapped in a horrid existence, with no hope for escape."

"And yet she did," Dumbledore pressed. "Thanks to you. Please, tell me what happened."

"Well, I went up to the door and knocked and already I was freaking out," Ogden said. "They had an Ekans, can you believe, nailed to the door. I had half a mind to just turn back there and then but I didn't. I knocked and Marvolo answered the door."

"He was… unbelievably crass," Ogden recalled. "He seemed very averse to letting me in, especially when I explained I was law enforcement. But he did and that's when I saw Morfin and Merope. Morfin had an Ekans, I couldn't help but wonder if the one on the door had been his as well, and Merope, the poor girl, was scraping rotting food from the dishes."

"To be honest by this point I was already confident that they could not be reasoned with but I tried anyway. I told Marvolo of Morfin's transgressions and that this was a final warning." Ogden sighed. "I needn't have bothered. As soon as he heard the victims were muggles Marvolo didn't give a damn, asked me what was wrong with Morfin putting the muggles in their rightful place. I knew full well I wasn't going to get anywhere and prepared to leave."

"But something happened," Dumbledore concluded.

"Something indeed," Ogden confirmed. "Just as I was preparing to make my excuses Morfin seemed to make some snide comment to his sister, something about a muggle man that Merope seemed acquainted with, and Marvolo blew his top. From what I can make out the man in question was of high local prestige and often passed by the Gaunt Shack and that Merope would often talk to him, besotted."

"And I imagine Marvolo was enraged to hear of his daughter consorting with a muggle," Dumbledore said.

"Enraged was right," said Ogden. "He attacked her, physically attacked her, had his hands round her throat. I had Watchog knock him cold but then I was forced to flee from the boy instead. I got out of there and got backup and soon enough both Morfin and Marvolo were in Azkaban, where they belonged."

"And where they remain," said Dumbledore.

"Well, Marvolo is long gone now, but it's right to say he lived out the rest of his life in Azkaban," Ogden told him. "As for Morfin his sentence wasn't nearly as strict. He was let out after a while but soon enough he was right back in. Murder was the charge, that muggle and his family, as it happens. I can hardly think it a coincidence."

"I would doubt it," Dumbledore agreed. "And Merope?" Ogden sighed.

"Don't really know," he admitted dispiritedly. "I got some information when Morfin was arrested the second time but it seems like she rather successfully disappeared. After a short while after her father and brother were arrested she simply vanished, and no one heard anything more of her, other than she could not possibly still reside in Little Hangleton."

"All I know is this," Ogden told Dumbledore. "After her father and brother were arrested Merope seemed to flourish. She cleaned herself up, got out of the house more, and became particularly close with that muggle man she was so besotted with. It seemed he returned her affections, at least at first, but no one I spoke to could really understand it. The man was from high class and Merope, even cleaned up and getting control of her life for the first time, was far beneath his station. The man was apparently under a lot of pressure to end his relationship, from his family and the villagers. Then Merope just disappeared."

As Ogden finished his story the blue light faded, sucked back into the time plant, and Harry found himself once more in Dumbledore's office.

"And so you've heard the story of the Gaunts," Dumbledore said heavily. "A family of noble heritage reduced to poverty and hardship due to inbreeding and a stubborn refusal to accept that they were not above all the rest."

"That was awful," Harry said, shocked. He felt sick from what he'd just heard. And all he could think, besides disgust for Marvolo and his son, was to feel sorry for the poor girl who had been forced to live under his brutal control.

"I quite agree," Dumbledore said softly. "Marvolo's hatred of muggles was repulsive, but even more so was how willing he was to treat his daughter with a heavy hand. I needn't remind you that she, too, was of Slytherin's noble blood."

"And she had a child," Harry said, connecting the dots with ease. "She named him Tom Riddle."

"After his father," Dumbledore confirmed. "The muggle man with whom she fell in love, and who she eventually left, most likely without ever informing him that she was due to bare his son."

"But why?" Harry asked. "Why would she leave? If she loved him…"

"Well, Harry, you heard it yourself, direct from the mouth of Bob Ogden." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and ran a tired hand over his face.

"I don't…" Harry couldn't figure out what he was referring to. Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"After some time, time in which Merope was free to live the life she'd so long been denied, Morfin was released from Azkaban and returned to the shack. I imagine he would have reacted angrily to the news that she was not only still speaking to the muggle man but also that she was in a relationship with said muggle. I imagine Merope, worrying for her own safety and perhaps even knowing she was pregnant and fearing what Morfin would do if he found out, ran away, never to be seen or heard from again, at least in Little Hangleton."

"It's important that you know all this, Harry," Dumbledore told him. "So that you can understand what makes Voldemort who he is. Merope would later die in childbirth, in an orphanage in London, and that is where Tom Riddle would grow up, alone, without ever knowing either of his parents."

A silence fell, broken only by the tick of the grandfather clock. Dumbledore turned to it.

"It is late," he said, and Harry realised that indeed hours had passed. He was exhausted. "I think that is enough for tonight." Nodding, Harry rose to his feet.

"And Harry," Dumbledore said, stopping him short as he moved to leave the office. "Think about what you've learned tonight. For when we next meet we will continue on with our story." Harry nodded. He bid the aged headmaster goodnight, and headed for Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I won't be uploading until next Friday as my next usual upload time would be on Christmas.

I hope you all have a great holiday and I'll see you in the next chapter.


	10. Denizens Of The Forest

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Harry did think about what he'd learned. In fact for the longest time that was all he could think about. Bob Ogden's tale had been burned into his brain, each word ringing out loud and clear, and he replayed the horror he felt every time he remembered it. No wonder Ogden had been unable to forget.

But it didn't matter that Harry's thoughts were in turmoil for life at Hogwarts still went on. Hermione and Ron, for their part, seemed to move on quite quickly from what he'd shared with them, though they'd acted suitably shocked when he'd first told them. Harry supposed that simply hearing the story second hand did not have the same impact as being able to watch Bob Ogden tell it himself.

September moved smoothly into October, along with the usual flow of classes and homework, and all the while Harry did not hear a word from Dumbledore. He had said they would meet again but he'd given no indication of when.

And on the 16th, a Wednesday, Ron came down with the flu.

"I don't feel so good," he groaned as Harry endeavoured to rouse him that morning. Arcanine and Blastoise stood by his bed, the latter having already used his water cannons to try and get Ron up to no avail, looking down on him worriedly.

And so that was how Harry ended up rushing alone across the castle lawn, already five minutes late for Pokémon Care after having helped Ron over to the Hospital Wing. He ran across the grounds towards Hagrid's hut where he found the professor waiting for him.

"Sorry I'm late, Hagrid," Harry said, panting as he bent double, clutching his knees for support. Rather than look angry Hagrid seemed rather relieved.

"Don't worry about it, Harry, I'm jus' glad yeh're here," he told him, letting out a puff of breath. "Yeh're the only one."

"Ron's not feeling well," Harry explained quickly, excusing his friend's absence. "I just took him to the Hospital Wing." He looked around. "Where's Seamus?"

"Not here," Hagrid told him. "Hardly surprisin', can never tell when that lad will turn up."

Harry frowned. This was rather unlike Seamus. Sure, he skipped classes, more often than most students to be honest, but he never skipped classes he actually liked. And Harry knew he enjoyed Pokemon Care. But still, he had missed more than a few of Hagrid's lessons.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me, Harry," Hagrid said with a smile. "Jus' like old time."

"Where are you taking me?" Harry asked. There was a dampness in the air, the sort that hinted that rain was possible at any moment, but the skies did not look particularly ominous and the condensation was quite refreshing.

Hagrid looked thoughtful.

"Well, I was gonna take yeh ter where the ground Arceus Plate is." Harry's heart leapt. "The Earth Plate. But it'd be a bit unfair on Ron if we went now."

"Ron would definitely want to see that," Harry said, fighting down his own urge to say forget Ron and go anyway. They hadn't seen an Arceus Plate since their trip to the Ice Cave and Harry couldn't wait to see more.

"Right," said Hagrid, cutting through Harry's thoughts. "Well, I was thinkin' how about we just have a wander around, if that's alrigh' with you." Hagrid stroked his beard sheepishly. "I have a few chores ter do, if yeh wouldn't mind helpin' me out." He looked down at him hopefully. Harry smiled.

"Lead the way."

Helping Hagrid with his chores was something Harry had done often over the last just over five years of schooling and he absolutely loved it. Taking the time to help the Pokémon of the grounds, and working with Hagrid too, his first friend in the Pokémon world, was a welcome relief from the stresses of everyday life.

"Hey Harry, keep an eye out fer Oran Berries, will yeh," Hagrid told him. "I've been helpin' out this little Dearling and those berries could really prove useful."

They were by a stream deep in the forest, trying to repair a dam that helped control the flow of water down to a large pool further along, home to many Pokémon. They were helped by a couple of nearby Bibarel and with their help and Hagrid's ridiculous strength they were making quick work of it.

"I think I saw some back there," Harry said, jerking his thumb back from where they'd come from. "I'll go have a look."

"Don't be too long, Harry," Hagrid told him but otherwise he didn't react and Harry casually wandered off, retracing their steps to where he thought he remembered seeing the distinctive blue berries.

"Found them!" Harry shouted back to Hagrid. He heard a muffled grunt in return. Harry stepped forward.

He'd been right, the Oran Berries were exactly where he had expected them to be. Moving towards the closest bush, noting there were plenty of berries to choose from and that he didn't have to take them all, he reached out a hand.

"Ah!"

A pulse of water splashed across his face, knocking him off his feet and leaving him spluttering on the ground in a heap. Pushing his drenched hair out of his eyes Harry scrambled back and looked up at his attacker.

A Greninja stood across the clearing. The water and dark type stared at him with an unwavering gaze, then he shot forward in a flash. Blades materialised in his webbed hands, deadly, and Harry's eyes widened.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Scrambling back Harry fumbled with Pikachu's Pokéball.

The electric mouse Pokémon appeared in the nick of time, launching himself towards the attacking Greninja with a swing of his metallic covered tail. Greninja's blades and Pikachu's tail clashed mere feet from where Harry lay, the two Pokémon battling for dominance, before pushing back.

"Pikachu!" Upon breaking free Greninja took his opportunity. He swiped at Pikachu, the electric type hanging vulnerably in midair, connecting with a glancing blow and knocking the Pokémon back. But Pikachu was alright. "Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's body sparked dangerously, electricity cracking, and across from them Greninja responded in kind. A dark energy built up in his hands and as Pikachu let loose his attack Greninja returned fire. The Thunderbolt and Dark Pulse collided with tremendous force, battling for dominance before exploding in a cloud of thick smoke, obscuring the clearing on which they battled.

"Do you see it, Pikachu?" Harry asked breathlessly, his voice little more than a whisper. Pikachu gave a small response, negative, and Harry held his breath as he anticipated where Greninja would next attack.

And then his vision swam.

He was no longer looking out from where he knelt, Pikachu a few yards away. Instead he was watching from the middle of the dense cloud of smoke, and as he became conscious of his sudden change of viewpoint Pikachu too became visible, standing obliviously before him. On instinct, without Harry even having a chance to think, he leapt forward.

"Duck!"

Pikachu did what Harry instructed, dropping to the ground as Harry seemed to just fly by, bypassing the small electric type to land on the ground behind him. He looked around, confused at his weirdly low viewpoint, and sudden his vision snapped back to normal.

"Wha…?" He was right back where he had started, his body having not moved an inch during his out of body experience. Pikachu was to his side, still flattened protectively against the ground, and further over crouched Greninja.

He was staring at him, as still as a rock, and Harry stared back. What had happened?

"Harry!" Hagrid's unexpected yell and the sound of him thundering through the trees caused Harry to rather unwisely turn away from Greninja, looking back through the trees. Just as quickly he turned back, but by the time he was facing the clearing once more Greninja had disappeared.

"Blimey, Harry," Hagrid said, appearing by his side and surveying the surrounding area. It was quite clear a battle had just taken place. Smoke still hung in the air.

"I heard an explosion an' came runnin'," Hagrid continued, standing tall and keeping his eyes peeled for a potential attacker. "Are yeh alright? What happened?"

"I was attacked," Harry said dumbly. He was still struggling to process everything that had taken place. "A Greninja, it just came out of nowhere. And then we battled and I heard you coming and by the time I looked back again it was gone."

"Blimey," Hagrid muttered again. "A Greninja. You don't see many o' them around these parts."

That was true, you didn't, but that wasn't what had Harry worried. Instead his thoughts, as he looked out over the still and silent forest, were on what had happened during those brief moments in the smoke.

* * *

"And it just fled?"

They were in the Three Broomsticks, just a few days later, Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting at a table near the bar, as Harry finally got round to telling his tale.

For the last few days Ron had been ill, resident of the Hospital Wing, and so Harry had waited patiently for that weekend when Ron was released and the three of them could head out of Hogwarts for the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.

"I suppose Greninja must have heard Hagrid coming and realised it couldn't take both of you," Hermione said reasonably. "If it lives in the forest then it must have heard of Hagrid, and there's a good chance it'll have heard about Norbert evolving. Greninja are strong Pokémon but I don't think anything is willing to pick a fight with a Salamence."

"Makes sense, but why did it attack in the first place?" Ron questioned. "I mean, you weren't doing anything, were you?"

"I was collecting berries," Harry told him. That particular part of the story had been all but forgotten. "I suppose it could have been hungry."

"Maybe," Hermione said pensively. "We'll likely never find out. That doesn't matter though, what I'm more interested in is this vision you seemed to have, Harry."

"It happened," Harry said defensively.

"Oh, we believe you," Hermione said hurriedly. "It's just very unusual." She hesitated. "Maybe if you could tell us more about it…?" Harry sighed.

"It was… it was like an out of body experience," he explained. "I was there and I was watching what was happening and then all of a sudden I was watching the same thing from a completely different angle. It was like I was seeing through Greninja's eyes, like I was some sort of passenger in his body."

" _His_ body?" Ron questioned.

"It was male," Harry confirmed. "Don't really know how I know that but… anyway, what's really important was that I was seeing all this and watching it but I didn't have any control. When I saw Pikachu I tried to attack him, or rather Greninja did, although I was able to warn Pikachu so I suppose I must still have had control over my own body, even if I couldn't feel it."

"That's deep stuff," Ron muttered, impressed. "But, you know, I don't think we should really worry about this too much. Yeah, it was weird, but weird things always happen around you mate. And what are the odds you are ever going to meet that Greninja again."

That was a good point, Harry had never seen Greninja before so there was a good chance he would never see him again, though knowing his luck he probably would. And what if this thing, whatever it was, wasn't specific to Greninja? What if next time it happened with some other Pokémon?

Harry raised his bottle of butterbeer to his lips. There was just something about this that he simply could not let go.

"Harry, my boy!" Harry nearly choked as he felt a hand fall genially on his shoulder. Looking up, spluttering, Harry found himself face to face with Horace Slughorn.

"Oh, dreadfully sorry," the potions professor apologised as he looked over Harry's appearance. "Should really have forewarned you of my arrival. Ought not to startle you like that."

"Not really," Ron agreed. Slughorn gave an awkward chuckle.

"Well, that's me told then," he said at an attempt at lightheartedness. "Anyway, if you'll excuse my abrupt arrival, I was just wanting to catch up. We haven't seen a lot of each other this term."

That was true and was most certainly not an accident. After bumping into Slughorn that morning on his way to Quidditch tryouts Harry had agreed to go to one of Slughorn's gatherings, primarily so he could get to see Slughorn's Grumpig again.

It had been a treat to talk to the delighted psychic type but Grumpig alone was not worth Harry submitting himself to any more of Slughorn's Slug Club gatherings and since then Harry had made sure to arrange Quidditch practice whenever Slughorn suggested another get together, much to Hermione's displeasure.

Hermione had quickly been recruited to the Slug Club, her intellect obvious to even someone who was both blind and deaf, and Slughorn was neither. And unlike Harry she didn't have Quidditch to excuse her from the regular gatherings. From what she'd told him her and Neville had banded together to get through the sessions without Harry present.

"No, sir, we haven't," Harry said, hoping he didn't come across as disingenuous. He wouldn't be surprised if Slughorn had figured out his evasiveness. "I've just been really busy, what with classes and preparing for the Quidditch season."

Slughorn waved him away.

"Please, don't apologise," He said grandly. "I understand. And as a teacher I fully encourage commitment to schoolwork, though as former Head of Slytherin I can't encourage you on the Quidditch pitch, at least against my house." Slughorn chuckled. "Though I must admit they won't have much of a chance. With the way you've been training, Harry, I expect to see you winning the Quidditch Cup."

"That's the plan, sir," Harry said honestly. With a mostly new team there was a lot of work to do to get them all up to scratch.

Slughorn chuckled. "Well, good luck, and may the best team win," he said. "And on a somewhat related note I was quite keen on booking up your schedule, as it were, for a little get together before Christmas. It is a tradition of mine to hold these little gatherings for the festive season, and I've always been able to convince a few old students to come back to mingle. In fact this year I was able to convince Gwenog Jones to come in for a visit."

"Gwenog Jones?" Ron repeated, stunned.

"Yes, yes, Captain of the Holyhead Harpies. That Gwenog Jones," Slughorn said animatedly. "What do you say, Harry, can I count on you to come? There's no way you'll be able to have practice the night before everyone's supposed to head home for the holidays."

Harry was starting to doubt that, remembering times in years past when Oliver Wood would do just that. But in the end there was only really one answer he could give. He grit his teeth and smiled.

"Excellent," Slughorn practically cheered. "And of course Ms Granger is invited too. You were right about her, Harry, smartest trainer in the year. And of course you can both bring someone along if you like. The more the merrier."

"Thanks Professor," Harry said as Slughorn waded his way through the crowded pub and disappeared from view.

"Can you believe him?" Ron muttered angrily. "The nerve."

"You don't really want to go, do you?" Harry asked. As far as he was aware Ron's thoughts on the Slug Club pretty much mirrored his own.

"Gwenog Jones, Harry," Ron pointed out. "I'd do practically anything to meet her, even if I had to put up with Slughorn a few times a year."

"So this Gwenog Jones is a big deal then?" Hermione asked. "I've heard Ginny mention her before."

"Well, she's the big Holyhead Harpies fan but Gwenog Jones is a superstar," Ron explained. "Any team would kill to have her. I'm hoping she might join the Cannons, her contract's up next year."

"Well, if you want to meet her so much then why don't you just come to the party with me," Hermione suggested. "Slughorn said we could bring guests." Ron blushed scarlet.

"Eh, I think… I think he was probably meaning, you know… like, a date or…" Ron fiddled with his collar uncomfortably.

"Oh," said Hermione. She went red too.

Harry looked between his two best friends and rolled his eyes. "You know, if you don't want to go with Hermione then I can take you," he said.

"What?" Ron muttered. He hadn't heard a word.

"I mean, if I have to," Harry told him. "I admit out of all the Weasley brothers I'd probably pick Bill, probably something to do with the earring gets me. I suppose I can settle for you though."

"Shove off, Harry," Ron muttered, punching him in the arm. But there was no feeling in it. "You know what, since you're being such an arse I _will_ go with Hermione." He turned quickly to her. "That is, of course, if you don't mind," he finished anxiously.

"No, I don't mind," Hermione told him with a smile. A faint blush was still visible on her cheeks. "Though I do feel bad for Harry. He doesn't have a date anymore."

"Don't worry, I'll find someone," Harry told her, though for the life of him he had no clue as to who that someone might be. It was like the Yule Ball all over again, except his partner to that was still steadfastly avoiding him.

Speaking of Ginny he spotted her moving through the crowd, butterbeer in hand. Their eyes met and, abruptly, Ginny changed direction, now walking to the other side of the room as a confused Colin and bemused Luna followed behind her.

Harry sighed. He lifted his butterbeer to his lips, only to find in disappointment that it was empty, and set it back down on the table.

"We should probably get going," he said. It wasn't too late but the heavy October winds had kept them safely ensconced in the Three Broomsticks for most of the day and they weren't particularly keen to brave the weather to go visit anywhere else.

"Hopefully the wind's calmed down a bit by now," Ron said as he swung his jacket over his shoulders. "By the time we got in I couldn't feel my face. And I swear, hand on heart, that I saw the wind lift Dennis Creevey up off the ground."

As Hermione tried to convince Ron that that was physically impossible Harry led them through the crowded Three Broomsticks and through the door to the blustery weather outside.

It had not improved.

"At least we're not walking directly into it," Hermione attempted to look at the situation positively, although it was kind of hindered by the fact her voice was muffled through her thick scarf, wrapped multiple times around her neck. For a moment the three of them stood just outside the door, slightly sheltered from the wind, as they braced themselves to make the journey back to Hogwarts.

"We should go," Harry muttered. However, before he could make good on his words, the door behind him swung open and the person inside walked right into him.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly, jumping out of the way and turning to see who he had just blocked off. It was Katie Bell. "Hey, Katie."

But Katie didn't respond. In fact she'd barely even reacted to walking into Harry, her face oddly blank as she looked straight past him, a roughly wrapped bundle held in her arms. Even as Harry went to ask if she was alright the seventh year simply walked away, venturing obliviously out into the storm.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked, startled.

"Bit rude," was Ron's comment, but his brow was furrowed. After just over a year in the Quidditch team Ron knew Katie well enough to know that this was completely out of character.

"Katie! Wait!" Harry only just got out of the way in time as a second girl game hurrying through the door to the Three Broomsticks, although this one he was unfamiliar with. Nevertheless she seemed to share at least one thing in common with Harry.

"Katie! Wait! Slow down!" The girl hurried after Katie, who Harry assumed must be a friend of her's, leaning into the storm before, soon enough, her cries were no longer audible, snatched up by the wind, and both she and Katie started to disappear from view.

"Well, that was very unusual," Hermione muttered, concerned.

"Right, and it seems we're not the only ones who think so," Ron commented. He turned to Harry. "What do you think, Harry?"

"Something's wrong," Harry said, simply knowing it to be true. The look in Katie's eyes, the hollow, disinterested gaze, her very lack of presence, just told Harry that there was just something not normal.

"We should follow them," Hermione suggested. "We were going back to the castle anyway. And if something is wrong…"

"Then we'll be there to do something about it," Ron finished for her. "Come on, let's get going before we lose them."

As it turned out there wasn't too much of a risk of that. Keeping Katie and her friend in sight, especially once they'd left the Hogsmeade High Street and begun up the long road to Hogwarts, wasn't difficult. What was challenging was watching them as they followed, not because they kept disappearing behind trees or buildings, for there were none to block their path, but because of the fierce wind that kept them bent double to protect against its savage attacks. Shielding their faces, heads bowed, Harry, Ron and Hermione were only able to glance up briefly to ensure they were still following behind Katie and her friend, before they were forced to hide their faces once more.

"God, this is cold," Hermione cursed, her teeth chattering together as she struggled against the wind, having a much tougher time of it than the two bulkier boys.

"Too right," Ron complained in return. "To be honest I don't even care about what's going on with Katie anymore, I just want to get back up to the castle." Guiltily Harry found himself somewhat agreeing with the sentiment. He looked up.

Katie and her friend were still walking on ahead of them, though the distance between the two groups had diminished greatly. Katie's friend had caught up with her and appeared to be in a very one sided conversation with the Gryffindor girl. She seemed frustrated, even angry, but Katie completely ignored her, almost seeming to be oblivious to her very presence. Frustrated, the friend made a grab for the package in Katie's arms.

A scream tore through the air, loud and piercing. It cut through the roaring wind like nothing else could, echoing loudly, hauntingly, across the open plains and forcing Harry, Ron and Hermione to a stunned halt.

Up ahead Katie had stopped walking abruptly. She had her back to them, they couldn't see her face, but by the expression of her friend, staring at her in abject horror, Harry had no doubt as to where the scream was coming from.

For the longest time the scream rang out across the grounds and as it did everything else seemed frozen in place. Harry could not move, could not even think, and even the wind seemed to quieten in the face of Katie's scream.

And then it stopped. Everything went still.

"Katie!" Harry shouted, running towards her, Ron and Hermione close behind him.

Just as the three of them reached Katie and her petrified friend Katie started to sway on the spot. She collapsed, just as Harry tried to reach out to steady her, and lay unmoving on the ground.

"Katie," Harry muttered, eyes wide. "What happened?"

Katie's friend was shaking on the spot as she turned to look at him. Her face was deathly pale and tears were building beneath her terrified eyes.

"It-it's the p-package," she stammered, her voice panicked. "K-katie g-got it… got it from s-somewhere. Didn't talk, j-just… left. I tried, tried to talk, but… she wouldn't, she couldn't… a-and I tried to grab the package and it opened…" she could not continue. She fell silent with a whimper, her hands going to cover her face as she looked down at her friend.

Hermione dropped to her knees beside Katie's prone form, tentatively reaching out an ungloved hand.

"I've got her pulse," she said and Katie's friend let out a sob of relief. "It's faint but it's definitely there. But she needs help, we've got to get her to Madam Pomfrey. She can't stay here."

"Hey there, what's goin' on?" As if on cue the enormous form of Hagrid happened upon them, leaning over Harry and Ron to look down at the scene. "I heard a ruckus, wha' happened?" And then he saw Katie.

"She needs help, Hagrid," Hermione said desperately, turning to the giant man with pleading eyes. "Something happened. She was…"

"Cursed," Ron supplied, his voice hard.

"Yes," Hermione stammered. "She needs to get to the Hospital Wing."

"Say no more," Hagrid told them. "Stand back." He stepped forward as Harry, Ron and Hermione parted before him, reaching down and lifting Katie's prone form into his arms with incredible ease. He took a moment to steady himself, shifting Katie in his arms, before he set off at a run up towards the distant castle.

A few moments later he disappeared from view.

Katie's friend let out a sob.

"It's alright," Hermione said softly, moving forward quickly to comfort the still unnamed girl. "It's going to be okay. Hagrid will get her to Madam Pomfrey. She'll look after her."

Meanwhile Harry moved away, wandering over to where the package Katie had been carrying had fallen open. Kneeling down Harry scrutinised the object carefully.

The package had been wrapped up in some nondescript brown paper, making it look uninteresting to the careless eye, but the wrapping had fallen away during the tussle between Katie and her friend and would have been blown away across Hogsmeade had it not been for the necklace that had fallen on top of it.

Harry had never seen a piece of jewellery like this before, and to be honest he found it not to his taste. It was quite dark and gaudy, giving off a rather unsettling presence even as it lay there, making Harry wonder how anyone could imagine it might make them look attractive if they were to wear it.

"What is it?" Ron muttered as he walked over, leaving Hermione with the unenviable task of trying to calm down Katie's hysterical friend.

"A necklace," Harry replied the obvious. "Not a nice one at that. Where did Katie find something like this?"

Ron knelt down across from him, the two facing each other over the sinister necklace. "I've been around Hogsmeade a lot over the years," he said. "I've never seen anywhere that would sell something like that."

Neither had Harry. And, judging by Katie's friend's stammered story, she had somehow acquired the package at the Three Broomsticks. Which meant that someone must have given it to her. But who would do that?

Harry reached out to pick up the necklace.

"Don't touch it," Ron said sharply. Harry looked up. "I wasn't joking when I said Katie was cursed." Harry retreated his hand.

"You think it's cursed?" He asked. Ron nodded.

"I've heard stories from Bill about stuff like this," Ron told him thickly. "In some of the ancient tombs there are objects that if you touch them will rot away your flesh, rip you up into shreds, even steal your soul, or so it's said. I saw one once in a museum, an ancient scroll. It felt just like this."

Harry looked down at the necklace. He had no difficult believing Ron's words. From the moment he'd seen the necklace he had known there was something seriously wrong with it. And after what had happened to Katie…

He looked up. "Send Pig to Dumbledore's office," Harry said grimly. "He'll need to see this."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas. I'll see you again in the New Year. I don't know yet if I'll be posting New Year's Day but I certainly will this time next week.

Just a reminder given one of my recent reviews: There will be nothing from gen 7 (or gen 8 when it comes out) in this story. I have made this rule to keep consistency between the stories in this series. I know a lot of people will hope that I will be swayed on this but, alas, I am firm in my convictions.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed and I look forward to seeing you in the next chapter.


	11. Tough Choices

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

It wasn't long before Dumbledore made it down to them, though it felt like an age as they waited in the biting wind, and as Harry had expected Dumbledore's expression hardened the moment his gaze fell upon the necklace.

They were in Dumbledore's office now, thankfully sheltered from the wind and able to warm up after the horrors of what they had experienced. Katie's friend, who was apparently a seventh year Hufflepuff by the name of Leanne, was no longer with them, having been met by Professor Sprout in the Entrance Hall into whose arms she had broken down, crying.

Meanwhile Harry, Ron and Hermione had continued onwards with the Headmaster to where they stood just now, having just finished telling Dumbledore their story.

"I see," said Dumbledore. His eyes fell upon the necklace lying on his desk, the item, most definitely cursed, having been transported there by the psychic powers of Dumbledore's Alakazam. "And none of you have seen this necklace before, or indeed seen a suspicious package before it found its way into the hands of Ms Bell?" Harry, Ron and Hermione shook their heads.

Dumbledore let out a tired sigh.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry said cautiously. "Do you know what happened to Katie? How she might have ended up with the package?" Dumbledore shook his head.

"I can merely guess," he told them. "Though from what you've told me I can make a few deductions. For example, this expressionless look you described on Ms Bell. What you've told me sounds an awful lot like the sort of mind control certain ghost type Pokémon are capable of."

"So you think it was a ghost Pokémon?" Ron said eagerly. "Maybe a rogue Azkaban Dusknoir?"

"But where would a Dusknoir get a necklace like that?" Hermione interjected. "For that there must have been some sort of human involvement." Dumbledore was nodding in agreement.

"Quite right," he told them. "You won't have known this but I was aware of this necklace's existence. It was on sale at a shady establishment just off Diagon Alley by the name of Borgin and Burkes. I had thought it was still there but it appears as though my information may be outdated."

"Who do you think bought it?" Harry asked.

"Who exactly, I don't know, but I can only assume that they did so in the name of Lord Voldemort." Ron flinched noticeably. Hermione shuddered.

"I believe the sequence of events would have gone something like this," Dumbledore hypothesised. "One of Voldemort's followers, perhaps on his orders or in an effort to curry favour, would lie in wait in a safe place, the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks, for example, and would look for the opportune moment to catch a student off guard, ensnaring that student in their ghost Pokémon's spell, and instructing said student to deliver this package up to the castle, and, I presume, to me."

Dumbledore looked up, fixing them all with a firm gaze.

"It is my belief that Ms Bell will recover, though it will take time," Dumbledore told them. "But what you should take away from what happened here today is that you must keep your guard up. I may have to issue a cancellation for future Hogsmeade visits but for now you would do well to live by Professor Moody's old adage. Constant Vigilance."

* * *

The fate of Katie Bell had the whole of Hogwarts shook. No one knew the full story, Harry had been asked many questions on the subject, but the general consensus was that this was all part of a scheme by Lord Voldemort. For the first month or so the war had seemed to leave Hogwarts be but now the students were given a harsh reminder of just what was going on outside the castle walls.

For Harry things were especially difficult. Even with being one of the few in the know as far as the attack on Katie was concerned there was still no news on exactly who had passed Katie the parcel, or how they had managed to do so without being seen.

On top of all that Harry was left with the additional challenge of dealing with the approaching Quidditch season. Their first game was just two weeks after the attack and it was against Hufflepuff, which was fortunate as the house of yellow and black were rarely found anywhere other than last place in the standings, with the sole exception of when Cedric Diggory had captained the side. Harry was quietly confident going into the game, especially as the new members of his team proved themselves committed, talented, and hungry for success.

However, the loss of Katie, currently lying in a hospital bed in St Mungo's, had thrown a wrench into Harry's plans. Not only was she to be missed, the only experienced Chaser left on the team, but without her everyone else's confidence had taken a real hit.

For Ron and Ginny it wasn't a big deal. After dealing with everything that happened around him on a yearly basis both of them were made of much tougher stuff and wouldn't be shaken by something as simple as a teammate almost dying. The same could be said with Dean and Seamus, although to a lesser extent, with Seamus in particular stepping up to the plate, Infernape proving to be a worthy successor to Angelina's Lopunny. Jimmy Peakes was improving every day and it appeared that Demelza Robins was a good fit for the team.

The only problem was Anna. During tryouts it had been difficult to tell if her Aipom or Demelza's Mienfoo was the better player. As it turned out the competition wasn't as close as Harry had originally thought. Still, Anna wasn't necessarily bad, and though her Aipom was more naturally a Striker it was doing a decent job of adjusting to Hitmontop's Facilitator role. The only problem was her trainer's nerves.

Anna was a shy girl. She'd shown it at tryouts and that hadn't necessarily changed, though she did seem to steadily be warming to the team. However, as the day of the first match drew nearer, she grew progressively more quiet and by the time of their last practice session, the night before the match, she looked positively ill.

Harry endeavoured to talk to her.

"Anna," he said, jogging up towards her as the Chasers begin to cool down with a simple passing drill. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" The girl looked petrified, Harry could only imagine what was going through her head, but she nodded and allowed Harry to lead her away from the playing field.

Nearing the stands Harry stopped, far enough away to be out of earshot of the rest of the team, and turned to look at her. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Anna mumbled, not meeting his eye.

"Are you sure?" Harry pressed. "You've just been really quiet recently. I thought something might be the matter." Anna stayed silent.

"It's alright if you're nervous," Harry told her. Immediately Anna turned to look at him. "Everyone is, especially that first time. I certainly was." Slowly Anna nodded her head.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked. Unsurprisingly Anna shook her head, averting her eyes once more. Anna never did want to talk.

"You'll be fine," Harry assured her. "You're a good player and we've got your back. And believe me, once the game's started you won't even notice the crowd anymore." Anna was nodding her head but it was just a little too obvious that she did not believe a word he said.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Harry changed tack. Anna's eyes shot up. "If you don't feel ready just tell me. I won't force you to go out there if that's not what you want to do."

Anna's eyes glittered with tears and she could not have looked more relieved, and grateful. But there was a dark shadow in her eyes.

"Sorry," she whispered, her voice weak, overcome with emotion. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't…" but Harry called her short.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," he assured her. "If you're not ready you're not ready, there's nothing wrong with that."

"But the team -"

"I'll deal with it," Harry assured her. "It's not a problem." Anna sniffed tearfully.

"Why don't you head on up to the castle," Harry suggested. "Get up to your dorm room, maybe grab a shower, and get a good night's sleep, okay."

Anna nodded. "Okay." Harry gave her a warm smile.

"Good girl," he said, patting her shoulder. "Now on you go. I'll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast."

Anna nodded, giving him a watery smile, before she glanced back to the pitch. Her Aipom, having been watching from a distance, hurried towards her and, looking relieved, Anna headed back up to the castle, Aipom hitched up upon her shoulder.

Harry turned to the rest of the team.

"Alright, let's wrap this up," he called out and the Pokémon and people on the pitch stopped what they were doing and turned to him. From up high Talonflame swooped down to land gracefully on his shoulder.

"That was a good practice," he told the assembled team members encouragingly. "I know things haven't been easy, I know you all wish things were better, but this team is really coming along. We've got a lot more work to do if we want to win the cup but we're good enough now to give Hufflepuff a good game. Now all of you head back, get a decent night's rest, and I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."

There were a few mutterings in return, his team saying their goodnights and beginning to wander off, but Harry pulled one team member aside.

"Dean," he said, grabbing the boy's attention as he made to walk out with Seamus. "Can I have a quick word?"

Dean looked at him before turning to Seamus and waving him on ahead. "What's up?" He asked.

"I'm going to have Jimmy play this match," Harry told him. Dean looked disappointed but not surprised. "I might need Glalie to help against Malfoy or Cho but Braviary is better against Chasers and Beaters and we really need all the help we can get on that front."

"Makes sense," Dean muttered dispiritedly. "I kind of expected you to say this. Why else would you pull me aside?"

"I've actually got something else to talk to you about," Harry interjected quickly. "Something I need your help on." Dean frowned.

"Go on." Harry sighed.

"Anna's not ready," Harry told him. "She's terrified of the big occasion, being out there in front of the whole school."

"She has been extra quiet recently," Dean acknowledged.

"Well, she's not going to be playing," Harry told him. "I talked to her and said she didn't have to if she wasn't ready and she took me up on the offer. But now that means we're a Chaser short."

"You want me to fill in?" Dean asked, aghast. "Harry, I don't know anything about being a Chaser."

"You know more than anyone else I can ask," Harry told him. "Listen, it's not very complicated. The role we need is the facilitator, we've got the allrounder and striker in Infernape and Mienfoo, and against Hufflepuff that won't be too difficult, their Chasers aren't very good. All we need is a Pokémon that is willing to sit back as Infernape and Mienfoo attack and be ready to disrupt any counterattacks. We need someone reliable, and you're the most reliable guy I know." Dean sucked in a breath.

"Alright, I'll do it," he said, to Harry's immense relief. "I'll use Hariyama. He's not the most mobile but…"

"He doesn't have to be," Harry assured him. "With Ron in goal they won't be scoring much anyway and with Ginny causing havoc with their Chasers I don't see Hufflepuff posing much of a threat. Anything Hariyama can contribute, even if it's just the smallest thing, will be an added bonus."

"Alright," Dean said. "Alright, I think I can manage that." He let out a breath. "Well, I suppose I've got a big day tomorrow. See you later, Harry." And he walked off towards the castle.

"So Dean's playing Chaser?" Ron was the last person left on the pitch, his arms heavy with a large pile of training cones he must have picked up while waiting for Harry to finish speaking.

"Yeah," Harry said tiredly. "With Hariyama."

"And you let Anna off the hook."

"Well, she was terrified," Harry said defensively. "She probably would have passed out if I'd forced her to play."

"She'll need to learn to deal with the nerves sometime, you know," Ron pointed out as they headed towards the locker room. "Dean's a short term fix and even if Katie makes it back in time for the next match she'll be gone by the end of the year."

"I know, I know," Harry said tiredly. "But just… give her time. She's shy and things like this are going to be much more difficult for her than they are for us." Harry glanced up at the castle. "Give me that, I'll put it away. We'll need you at your best tomorrow."

"You too," Ron pointed out, though he still divested himself of the cones. "We can all pretend all we want but if we're going to win the cup this year it's going to come down to you… you and him." Ron nodded to Talonflame still perched on Harry's shoulder. Harry looked up at him too.

"Why don't you head on up, get a head start on your rest," Harry told the fire and flying type. Talonflame made a small noise of agreement before he took off, spreading his wings wide as he soared majestically off towards the castle.

Ron made his leave too. "See you, Harry."

"See you, Ron," Harry replied and, as Ron headed out of the stadium, Harry walked into the changing rooms.

It was empty, not a Gryffindor in sight, though as Harry entered he could hear the showers running, suggesting that at least one member of his team had not yet made the trip back up to the castle.

Ignoring this for the time being Harry moved over to the supply closet. Slipping a key from his pocket he unlocked it, opening it up. Absently he noted that the sound of the shower had stopped.

"Oh."

Harry turned around. "Oh."

Ginny stood before him and, for the first time since she had kissed him at the end of last year, they were alone. For so long Harry had hoped to catch her in a moment like this, hoped to finally have the chance to talk to her about what had happened, but at this precise moment in time there was a far more pressing matter that required his attention.

Ginny was almost completely naked.

Harry flushed deeply and Ginny seemed just as embarrassed. She must not have heard him come in or expected anyone to be there. Her long hair, dark from the water after having just walked out of the shower, hung over her shoulder as droplets of water ran down her exposed neck and chest, coming to a stop as they met the only fabric she had to cover herself, the towel she had wrapped around her which she was now holding on to dangerously tight.

"Ah," Harry said dumbly. "Er, sorry, I, uh…" He had no idea what to say.

Ginny seemed equally as stuck. "Sorry," she muttered, her voice very low and her face red. "I didn't think anyone was here."

"Uh, yes," Harry stammered. "Eh, I was just… the training supplies…" He gestured lamely to the cones beside him.

An awkward silence fell.

"Listen," Harry said eventually, his brain finally starting to click into gear. "I know this is… but… we need to talk." He glanced away bashfully. "Do you want to perhaps… get dressed. Then we can, you know, talk. I think we need that."

Ginny nodded slightly. Whether she realised that constantly avoiding him wasn't a solution or simply caved to the fact that she had no way of getting out of the predicament she currently found herself in Harry didn't know. Either way she gathered up her clothes from her locker and disappeared back into the showers.

Letting out a long breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding Harry turned back to the cupboard. He finally put the cones away, and closed and locked the cupboard door. He closed his eyes and sighed.

She's Ron's sister, he told himself as he focused hard on his breathing. She's Ron's sister. Funnily enough thinking of Ron was a great deal of help in keeping any impure thoughts on Ginny safely out of reach.

The soft ruffle of fabric broke through Harry's thoughts and he turned quickly. Ginny had returned, fully dressed now and standing in the doorway to the showers, the only evidence of her previous state being the towel she held in her grasp.

Like Harry it seemed she had used the time to gather herself.

Harry hesitated. Now that the moment was here he wasn't sure how to start.

"Sit down," he told her, gesturing to the benches. She did so without comment, oddly silent, and Harry gingerly lowered himself into the seat across from her.

He took a breath.

"Listen, we need to talk about what happened at the end of last year," Harry told her.

"I disagree," Ginny replied, steadfastly ignoring his gaze. "I don't think we need to talk about it at all."

"Well, you're wrong," Harry said bluntly. The force of his words caused Ginny to glance up at him. He sighed. With tired limbs he reached up and rubbed at his eyes.

"Listen, I know this isn't easy," he told her directly. "I know this is difficult to talk about. But clearly this is something we just have to deal with."

"Just ignore it," Ginny told him. "Just forget and ignore it."

"I would," Harry said honestly. "I would ignore it if I thought this was just some sort of accident that didn't mean anything. But ever since you kissed me you've been going out of your way to avoid me and that does not fit with the idea that this doesn't matter. You may like me, you may not, but something about this is bothering you and quite frankly I can't stand it. We're friends, Ginny, and since what happened we've barely said two words to each other. I can't take it, I can't stand by and let this go on. I miss you."

Silence fell as Harry's words reverberated around the room. Harry was glad to finally get this off his chest. Not being able to talk to anyone without giving away what had happened, his one talk with Remus being his only outlet, Harry had been forced to bury the issue deep inside him for the sake of privacy and he was gratefully to finally be able to speak his mind. And as he'd talked it became clear just how much this had been bothering him, far more than he'd realised, or allowed himself to believe.

Ginny remained quiet. She leaned over on the bench, head turned away, and her eyes seemed to be staring into space. It was clear that this was difficult for her, Harry could only think of her past crush and how embarrassing it must be to be reliving that all over again. But Harry knew that they had to talk, and moreover he knew that the more they understood each other the better things would be.

Harry leaned forward hesitantly.

"Ginny," he said, his voice soft. "I know this might be difficult but I need you to be honest with me." He imperceptibly noticed Ginny swallow. "Ginny, do you still like me?"

Ginny turned slowly. She looked up to face him, her chocolate brown eyes rising to meet his emerald green in an unblinking stare. Yet still she remained quiet.

"I don't care whether you say yes or no," Harry told her softly. "I only care that you tell me the truth."

Ginny continued to stare at him, unblinking, before she slowly began to shake her head.

"No," she whispered. Her voice was quiet, barely more than a breath, but her words were sure. "I don't still like you." Silence fell between them before Ginny dropped her head.

"I used to have a crush," she told him. "On the boy who lived. But I got over that, eventually. Then I got to know you, got to know your strengths and weaknesses, your goals and your morals. And then your godfather was killed and the killer was holding a knife to my throat and you had every right to lose control. But you didn't. You negotiated. You saved me, again. And after that I really had no choice."

Harry stayed silent. He watched as Ginny took in a ragged breath, her suffering obvious as she forced the words to come out, and he did not interrupt, even as the silence stretched on.

"I know this is stupid," Ginny muttered. "I promised myself I wouldn't be like this again. All through summer and since we've been back I've done my best to ignore you. I know if I just keep at it, keep ignoring this feeling, that it will pass. I just need a bit of time."

Harry hesitated as Ginny fell quiet. He knew what he wanted to say but saying it… saying it was tough. Harry took a breath.

"I'll give you all the time in the world," he promised her. "Whatever you need. But I'm worried… I think you might not be going about this the right way."

Ginny looked up. "What do you mean?"

Once again Harry hesitated. "I mean you are acting like this is just a crush, like before," he told her. "And I don't claim to know how you feel better than you do, I know I don't. But I do know you. And I don't think you are capable of a childish crush anymore. You've been through too much. We all have."

Ginny was quiet. She was still looking towards him, had not ducked her head, but her eyes stared off aimlessly into the space between them. Her mouth opened slightly, almost to her surprise, and her gaze sharpened once more. She looked at him.

"Do you like me?"

Harry hesitated. What could he say? Yet as Ginny's gaze burned into him he realised he'd asked her for the truth, and it would be unfair if he didn't show her the same curtesy.

"I don't know," he told her. Something imperceptible flickered in her gaze.

Harry glanced away, rubbing an arm tiredly over his forehead as he let out an exhausted sigh.

"Sorry," he muttered, glancing back at her. "I know it'd be easier if I could give you a definitive answer, one way or another, but the truth is I really don't know. I haven't had the chance… haven't let myself have the chance to think about it. With everything that's going on at the moment with Voldemort and the war and what happened with Sirius…" Harry swallowed, hard. "Personal romance has sort of taken a back seat."

It pained Harry to leave Ginny hanging like this, hating that he, if anything, was adding to her dilemma. Yet Ginny was nodding, her head moving ever so slightly up and down, and there was a look of understanding in her eyes.

"I'll try to work this out," he promised her, for she deserved at least that much. "I'll do my best to get a grip on what I'm feeling. And then we can work out what that means for us. In the meantime I just want things to go back to normal between us. I know they will eventually, we get along too well for it not to happen, but with the war and everything there really isn't time to waste. Your friendship is too valuable to me, Ginny, and I can't let something like this stand in the way."

Harry paused, examining Ginny's expression carefully. "Do you think we can be friends?" He asked.

Ginny's eyes watched him carefully, her face expressionless. Then there was a subtle curl of her lips, a small but genuine smile forming to put Harry's heart at ease.

"Yeah, I think we can manage," Ginny said, her small quirk transforming into a full blown smile which seemed to lighten up her whole face.

Harry let out a relieved sigh, a smile breaking out across his features too, as he felt his body relax.

"Well," he muttered with a nervous little chuckle, rising to his feet. "Eh, should we shake on it?"

Ginny grinned, rising to her feet and taking his offered hand. "Good talk, Captain," she told him, shaking firmly. Harry let out a disbelieving snort.

"When I was told I would be captain this year I can promise you I was not expecting to be having conversations like this," he replied.

"How naive," Ginny countered, smirking. "You've got two Weasleys on the team, after all."

"I guess Fred and George were so crazy I forgot how bad you and Ron could be," Harry commented, dropping her hand. "But on a more serious note I'm going to need you guys big time tomorrow."

"We know," Ginny told him. "We'll be there. You can count on us. And that goes for more than just Quidditch." Harry smiled gratefully.

"We should get up to the castle," Harry noted. "Ron's probably wondering what's taking me so long, and I'd not be setting a good example staying out late the night before a match."

"Probably not," Ginny agreed. "Well then, lead on."

The two of them walked up to the castle together in companionable silence, broken every so often with brief conversation before they reached the Gryffindor Common Room and split up to their respective dormitories.

Later, dressed in his pyjamas and lying in bed, waiting for sleep to claim him, Harry, for the first time in a while, felt at ease.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed and to everyone reading, Happy New Year!

As always let me know what you think and if you have any questions please let me know.

Until next time.


	12. Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The room was steamy. In fact at first Harry couldn't see anything, not even the hand he held up in front of his face, before it started to steadily clear and he was able to take in where he was.

He was standing in the Gryffindor Changing Room. Alone, as far as he could tell, though the steam still hung heavily in the air, obscuring most of his surroundings.

The sound of running water caught Harry's attention, the familiar high pressured jet of the showers alerting him to the fact that he might not be alone after all. He looked over to where he knew the showers to be and, almost as though responding to his gaze, the steam in that direction started to clear, revealing a figure standing before him.

It was Ginny, dressed in nothing but a towel, and she was staring up at him almost expectantly, water dripping from her stark red hair and running trails along her neck and shoulders.

Without any conscious thought Harry found himself approaching her, steadily closing the distance in a matter of seconds as the steam seemed to build around them, the sound of the shower still running, though Ginny's features remained in sharp focus.

Stopping mere feet from where Ginny stood Harry gazed at her. From this close he was able to make out the individual freckles scattered across her cheeks, count them, even. His eyes flitted from her smooth skin to her pale, tantalising lips, before rising to meet her deep, chocolate brown eyes, finding himself lost within them as he stared without abandon.

Standing calmly beneath his gaze Ginny slowly reached up to where her towel was knotted under her arm and started to pull the fabric away.

"Harry?"

Harry gasped awake, his pulse racing as he gazed wide eyed up at the canopy of his bed… and at Ron standing over him.

"You alright?" The red headed boy asked him, frowning. Harry hastily nodded.

"Yeah," he said quickly, hoping to god his face was not as red as it felt. "Yeah, just…"

"Weird dream?" Ron finished for him, giving him a look of understanding. "Been there."

He really hadn't, or at least Harry hoped that Ron hadn't had a dream like this before, but it was far too convenient an excuse for Harry to pass up.

"Yeah," Harry said quickly, trying to calm his racing pulse. "Yeah, crazy. I think I was being chased or something…"

Luckily Ron was perfectly willing to accept that Harry would struggle to remember his dream, even after just waking up, and he let the matter drop.

"Well, you better focus up, mate," he said instead. "We have the match today, and we're pretty screwed without you."

"The match!" Harry had completely forgotten and, knowing Ron's tendency to sleep in, he scrambled for his watch.

"Relax, Harry, we've got time," Ron assured him. "I've seen you do this for years. Trust me, we won't be late."

Ron was right but still, Harry would have preferred to be up much earlier.

"If you'd slept for much longer I would have had Blastoise wake you up," Ron commented. Harry noticed the water type for the first time, standing by Ron's bed, but looking past him Harry found the dormitory to be otherwise empty.

"Dean and Seamus headed down for breakfast already," Ron told him, noticing his gaze. "They seemed relaxed. Dean was maybe a bit nervous but, you know, he's Dean, I wouldn't worry about it."

"Right," Harry muttered, finally starting to pull himself back together. "Okay, well, I'll just get washed up and dressed. I'll see you in the Great Hall."

"Don't be too late," Ron warned. "See you, Harry." Ron returned Blastoise to his Pokéball and headed for the dormitory door. Harry, meanwhile, shakily rose to his feet and headed for the bathroom.

Standing over the sink Harry splashed his face furiously with water, washing away the sleep in his eyes and sharply waking himself up. Turning the water off Harry grasped hold of the sides of the sink, leaning over it heavily, and gazed at his reflection in the mirror.

She's Ron's sister, the voice in his head warned. She's Ron's sister.

But those words did not have the same effect they once had. No matter how hard Harry tried to focus on something else the image of Ginny, wrapped up in that towel and still wet from the shower, kept forcing its way back into his head. And what was worse was that it was not just his imagination. It was memory, burned into his brain down to the last freckle, and he simply could not ignore it.

Later, he told himself. Later.

"Later." His voice sounded odd as he said the word aloud but it seemed to do the trick. The bathroom seemed to sharpen into focus, the image of Ginny starting to fade away to be replaced by the real world around him.

He could worry about this later, after the match. Maybe by then his subconscious mind might have figured out what was going on but whether it does or not what he needed to be focused on now, one hundred percent, was on leading his team and catching that Snitch.

* * *

"There you are, we were getting worried."

The team were sitting together at the Gryffindor table, probably Dean's doing as he was the sort to think of these things, and as one they looked up at Seamus's words.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Harry muttered, taking the free space next to Ron, situated rather unfortunately directly across from Ginny. "Didn't sleep well."

"Well as long as Talonflame is rested…" said Seamus.

"Don't worry about Talonflame," Harry assured him. "He's ready, and so am I."

"And so are we," Ron said boldly on behalf of the team. And they seemed to be too. Jimmy Peakes looked nervous, but excited, and though Demelza seemed quieter than usual she was still happily chatting away with Anna, who Harry was glad to see was sitting with the team. Though she wouldn't be playing she was still just as much a part of the squad as the rest of them.

"Has everyone had something to eat?" Harry asked, remembering the way his stomach had churned before his first match all those years ago.

"Yes," Ginny told him. "Everyone but you." For a brief moment Harry met her gaze.

"I'm fine," he said abruptly, turning away. "It's not long until the match, we should get down to the pitch." He rose to his feet, the rest of the team hurrying to do so as well, and he led them out of the Great Hall.

As they went the Gryffindors cheered.

They were early to the pitch, earlier perhaps than even the Hufflepuff house team, though Harry hadn't made a point of checking. They gathered in the Gryffindor Changing Room, Harry putting a concerted effort into not thinking about the last time he'd been there, and started to change.

Beside him Ron cast a sideways glance.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, quietly enough that his voice did not draw the attention of the rest of the team. "Seamus was right, you did take a while to get down to the hall. And weren't you the one practically force feeding me last year before games."

Harry didn't respond immediately, fiddling with his Gryffindor Quidditch jersey, but once he looked up Ron was still watching him.

"I'm alright," he told him. "It was just an… unsettling dream."

"Must have been quite upsetting to have you this rattled," Ron murmured, favouring him with a wary look. "I don't think I've seen you like this before a game since first year."

"I'm fine, Ron," Harry insisted, though it seemed to have little effect in convincing him. He let out a sigh. "Look, watch me during the game and you'll see I'm focused. I'm not losing this."

He looked up at the rest of the team. They were all ready, or mostly ready, and they were talking quietly amongst themselves. Beside Ron Seamus was psyching himself up, at the other end of the room Ginny and Demelza were chatting away, Demelza looking tense, Ginny relaxed, and across from Harry Dean had an arm around Jimmy Peakes's shoulders, talking to him in a low tone.

Harry stood up. Immediately all eyes turned to him, the conversations falling quiet.

Harry did not speak immediately. Instead he looked out at his teammates, watching six different sets of eyes staring back at him with varying levels of determination and nerves. He took a deep breath.

"I know what a lot of you are thinking," Harry spoke into the silence of the room. No one interrupted. "You are thinking that you're not ready. You are thinking about how we lost Angelina and Alicia and Fred and George last year, and Katie a few weeks ago, and that there is no possible way we can live up to what they achieved. That there's no possible way, without their talent and experience, that we can retain the Quidditch Cup."

"And to an extent you're right," Harry told them. "This team is not as good as it was last year. It is not as good as it was a few weeks ago." Harry paused, looking at each and every attentive face gazing up at him.

"But this is still the best damn team in this school."

He could hear the sounds of the crowd filling up the stands now, knowing it was almost time for them to walk out onto the pitch, but before he did he had a few last minute words to say.

He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Hufflepuff are our opponents today," he said. "They won't surprise us, we know what to expect. They will be organised, disciplined, and they will be looking to do whatever they can to stop our Chasers from scoring." He turned to the team.

"It won't work," he told them. "But for that to be true then we all need to work together. Jimmy, your job is to keep the Beaters busy. Be a handful, a menace. Your entire role is to make sure that the Hufflepuff Beaters are so busy dealing with you that they can't do anything to stop Gengar causing havoc to their Chasers." Jimmy nodded.

"Dean, you know what your role is." He received a nod in return. "Break up attacks and pass it off to Infernape or Mienfoo. Demelza, Mienfoo's our goal threat. Don't be afraid to shoot, no matter how often you might miss. Seamus, Infernape's got to put a real shift in today. He's got to be everywhere, setting up attacks and helping Hariyama in defence so that Mienfoo can stay up the other end of the pitch, where she can do her damage. Ron…"

Harry met Ron's gaze and no more words needed to be said. They exchanged a nod, one of faith and complete understanding, before Harry turned back to the rest of the team.

"Okay, everyone line up," he instructed and everyone scrambled to their feet. Harry stood at the front of the line, waiting patiently for everyone to sort themselves out, with Ron behind him, then Ginny and Peakes, and then finally the three Chasers bringing up the rear.

"Everyone ready," he called, receiving a few nods in return. "Then let's go."

It was a weird feeling leading the team out onto the sunny, if not a bit blustery, Quidditch pitch. As Seeker tradition dictated that Harry was usually the last in line, following his teammates out onto the pitch, and it was only now that he was on the other end that he truly appreciated the magnitude of walking out onto the pitch to the roar of the fans.

The Hufflepuff team were already out, though they couldn't have been there for more than a few moments. Harry strode confidently towards them, head held high, doing his best to lead by example for the less experienced players behind him.

He reached the middle of the pitch and brought his team to a stop.

"Captains, shake hands," the traditional instruction came from Madam Hooch and Harry clasped hands with his opposite number. He was a seventh year boy who had been on the team for quite a few years, though in that time he had failed to make much of an impression on Harry. He seemed nice enough, meeting Harry's shake with a firm, but not too firm, grip, something Harry knew he would not receive when facing against Slytherin.

Harry moved up the line, shaking hands with the remainder of the Hufflepuff team, some he knew, some he didn't. The Seeker fell into the latter category.

The boy couldn't have been more than a second year at best, with a round, boyish face and fair hair. He was doing his best to put on a brave face, an admirable effort in Harry's opinion, but the nervous shake of his hand give him away. He was terrified.

As Harry walked away from the centre of the pitch, turning to face the wall of Gryffindor support behind him as his teammates continued to shake hands with their opponents, Harry turned to Ron.

"You're in charge," Harry told him. Up in his balloon Harry was far removed from the action and would be of little help during the game. Ron understood. He nodded.

"Trainers, release your Pokémon." Harry quickly jumped into his balloon, releasing Talonflame on reflex as he pulled the lever to take him up to playing height.

As he rose into the air he looked down at the Pokémon below. There was nothing unusual, a simple smattering of the Pokémon you often saw at these matches, many of whom Harry had faced before. Nothing Ron couldn't deal with. He looked up.

His opponent, the frightened second year, was only now just pulling up to playing height. Perhaps he'd struggled with the lever or, given his small stature, struggled to get into the balloon. Harry wondered if anybody had had these thoughts about him, back when he was starting out.

"Welcome to the first match of the season, Gryffindor against Hufflepuff," a voice called out over the stadium. It shocked Harry for a moment, so used to hearing Lee Jordan commentating on matches, but he had left last year and so it was a familiar, and unwelcome, voice that had taken over.

"Gryffindor have a very different team than last year," Zacharias Smith's obnoxious tones echoed across the stadium. "Potter had an unenviable task of replacing four starters in his first year as Captain, five if you include Bell, but it seems he has not bothered to hold tryouts and instead has opted to give the positions to his friends."

Boos rang out from the Gryffindor supporters at these words, accompanied by mocking jeers from the Slytherins. Harry supposed he should have known he wouldn't get such an easy ride as he had with Lee but still he couldn't think of a worse person, outside of Slytherin, that is, to take up the microphone.

Smith was still speaking. "Of course, Potter may be arrogant enough to assume he can just win games himself…" more boos accompanied these words. "… but this year Hufflepuff have a strong Seeker with a secret weapon I don't think Potter will be prepared for."

A Zubat fluttered before the pale faced Hufflepuff at the other end and it took Harry all of two seconds to realise what this secret weapon was supposed to be. After all, it was the same weapon Harry himself had used back in first year when he had beaten Malfoy and a Staravia to the Snitch with a tiny baby Noibat.

"Be careful of his Supersonic," Harry muttered to Talonflame. Talonflame gave a low squawk in return. It was unlikely he needed the warning, Talonflame wasn't stupid, but even though his opponent was terribly inexperienced he wasn't going to be taking any chances.

And for the most part Talonflame was going to be flying solo. It didn't matter if they did not immediately see the snitch, Talonflame was a vastly superior flier in comparison to Zubat, and Hufflepuff played fair so there would be no surprise attacks, allowing Harry to divert his attention downward to the rest of his team.

A short, sharp blast of the whistle from Madam Hooch indicated the start of the match.

"And the match has begun, Finnegan's Infernape taking possession of the Quaffle," Smith announced. "Finnegan shares a dorm with Potter, you might not be surprised to find out. So too do Thomas and Ronald Weasley. I'm honestly surprised Longbottom hasn't made the team, which I suppose is a testament to his lack of skill."

The boos ringing out at Smith's words quickly changed to cheers as a moment later Infernape barrelled through two Hufflepuff Chasers, taking advantage of the distraction caused by Ginny's Gengar, to set up Mienfoo to strike home the first goal through the right hand hoop.

Harry clenched his fist in triumph.

"And Gryffindor score through Robins and her Mienfoo," Smith drawled as the cheers died down. "Noticeably the one Chaser not friends with Potter. I wonder how she was chosen, a raffle perhaps. Still, it seems that Potter's penchant for being lucky rather than talented continues."

Harry quickly realised that there was nothing to be gained from listening to Smith's commentary and so he tuned him out, though that didn't stop the odd comment from reaching his ears. It seemed Smith was determined to disparage him at every opportunity, regardless of what was happening in the match, and while Harry had more than enough experience ignoring insults aimed at him the comments about his team, and sometimes even people not on the team, made his blood boil.

One thing was certain and that was that Harry was glad he hadn't forced Anna to play. Smith's commentary would be enough to shatter what little confidence the shy girl had and that thought was enough to make Harry want to punch Smith right in his obnoxious face.

Down below the team, despite Smith's suggestions otherwise, were doing well. It was a cagey affair, the Hufflepuffs clearly trying to keep the scoring to a minimum whilst banking on some slice of luck to give them a chance at catching the Snitch. Machoke in the Gryffindor goal was faced with few shots, though Hariyama's lack of mobility was providing a few openings for the Hufflepuff Chasers to take. Meanwhile Infernape and Mienfoo were struggling to find a consistent way through the organised Hufflepuff defence, even with Gengar's support.

An important part of this game for Harry was to see how his team would do when faced with a real match situation. Hufflepuff could be a challenge but their Chasers did not have the ruthlessness of the Slytherins or the sheer talent of the Ravenclaws, which could make them a perfect first trial for the team.

But with the way the match was going Harry realised he'd already learned all he was going to. And with the game starting to become repetitive and Smith's commentary grating on Harry's nerves Harry just wanted the game to be over.

The sudden cry of the crowd was intimately familiar to Harry and a mere moment later Talonflame was off, soaring across the pitch to where the Snitch balloon had just floated into view with just one thought on his mind.

Across the field Zubat was already far behind but the trainer commanding it wasn't ready to give up. "Zubat, Supersonic!"

The screech that emanated from the tiny Pokémon had most of the stadium clutching their ears in pain. On the pitch below the game had stopped, the Pokémon caught completely unaware.

But one Pokémon had not stopped. Talonflame had known this was coming, had been well prepared for it, and though he felt the pain just like everyone else he kept his eyes fixated on the Snitch. He soared through the air and snatched the Snitch up in his beak.

The screeching stopped, much to the relief of everyone in the stadium, and for a moment the only sound around the pitch was the low mutterings of spectators trying to figure out what was happening. Harry himself had to shake his head roughly to clear his thoughts before he looked out over the pitch.

Talonflame had the Snitch clasped firmly in his beak. However, in the time since the Supersonic attack had stopped, Zubat had made up the distance. The Zubat was incredibly small, Harry noted, able to compare it now with Talonflame side by side, but it was also very agile and, more important, it was proving to be a major annoyance as Talonflame attempted to return to Harry.

"Oh ho, looks like Potter's Talonflame is in trouble here," Smith announced gleefully as all eyes turned to the two Pokémon. "Talonflame has got the Snitch but how long can he hold on to it?"

For as long as he likes, Harry thought in annoyance, though he reluctantly admitted that Zubat was proving to be more of a nuisance than he had expected. Below Peakes's Braviary was doing a good job of holding back the Hufflepuff Beaters and Harry spied Gengar waiting in the shadows, ready to pounce.

"It seems Potter has no idea what to do," Smith announced loudly as Harry turned his attention back to the battle. "For the star Seeker of Gryffindor he sure looks short of ideas. Any moment Talonflame looks like he'll lose the Snitch and give Stevens the chance of a very memorable victory in his very first match. We're about to witness a giant killing today."

That gave Harry an idea and a smile grew on his face as he realised that Zacharias Smith had been the one to give it to him.

"Talonflame!" Harry called, easily gaining the fire and flying type's attention. He looked frustrated, but still well in control. "Drop the Snitch!" It took a mere second for Talonflame to hear the command, register it, and then understand what Harry was planning.

He let the Snitch fall from his beak.

"And Talonflame has dropped the Snitch! What a foolish mistake by Potter! And Zubat is going for the Snitch!" Smith was elated as Zubat gave up on his harassment of Talonflame and dove after the Snitch, just as Harry had predicted.

"Fire Blast!" Against a more experienced opponent a tactic such as this would not have worked, but the young Hufflepuff, Stevens, had made a mistake no other Seeker would, and that was to leave his Pokémon vulnerable in pursuit of the Snitch.

Zubat, diving to reach his prize, could no longer see Talonflame, hovering just above him, and so could not see the deadly fire that rained down upon him, did not know of it until it was too late and the small Zubat became engulfed in the flames, still halfway towards reaching the Snitch, and it plummeted to the ground.

"Talonflame, catch Zubat!" Harry called and Talonflame swooped after his opponent, snatching it up in his talons long before he could crash to the pitch below. Slowly Talonflame fluttered down onto the grass, laying the unconscious Zubat gently out on the middle of the pitch, before he hopped a few feet away towards where the Snitch had fallen.

No one tried to stop him as Talonflame picked up the Snitch and took off with the ring secured firmly in his talons. There was no point. The game was over long before Talonflame placed the Snitch on the Gryffindor pole.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

To Jacebralor: Thanks for your review, I'm glad you're willing to carry on with this story even though it seems to be going towards a ship that isn't your favourite. I can't say anything about what will happen, obviously, but I do promise to do my very best. Writing relationships is difficult when you know you can't please everyone so it only makes me try harder to write any relationships in my story as well as I possibly can.

As for your question about what typing do you think the unforgivable curses would be if they were Pokémon moves it is not exactly a question of the day but I would still like to open it up for anyone reading to see what they think of this.

For me I reckon all of them would be ghost type moves. One of the things that stands out to me about the curses is that none of them leave any physical evidence and that fits in incredibly well with ghost type attacks. You could also say the same thing for psychic type attacks but I think ghost fits better.

Anyway, that's my opinion on the subject. What does everyone else think? Let me know your suggestions and your thoughts on the chapter and I'll see you again soon.


	13. Night On The Tower

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

By the time Harry got to the Gryffindor Common Room the party was already in full swing, the sounds of music and chatter able to be heard from the corridor outside which only became louder as Harry opened the door to Gryffindor Tower.

"Harry!" Ron spotted him almost immediately, forcing his way through the crowd and drawing everyone's attention as he swung an arm over Harry's shoulder and pulled him inside. "Everyone, Captain Harry Potter!"

The assorted Gryffindors cheered loudly and Harry raised a hand in bashful acknowledgement as he was pulled forward into the Common Room.

"What took you so long?" Ron asked as he pulled Harry through the crowd, shoving a butterbeer into his hand as he went. "The party's been going on for ages."

"There was something I had to do," Harry told him, keeping his voice down as many of the surrounding Gryffindors reached out to shake his hand or slap him on the back as he passed. "It took longer than expected."

Ron favoured him with a weird look but did not say anything as he continued to drag Harry towards a far corner of the room, where Hermione and Ginny were sitting waiting for them.

"Hey, guess who I found," Ron introduced, slapping Harry on the back and pushing him towards a chair.

"Yes, Ron, we saw him arrive," Hermione responded, rolling her eyes. "You weren't exactly subtle." She turned to Harry. "Good game, Harry."

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully, settling into a seat and allowing himself to relax into the warm cushions.

Ginny, however, seemed to be thinking more along the same lines as Ron.

"Where were you?" She asked. "You disappeared after the match. We were thinking of sending out a search party."

"I was in the Hospital Wing," Harry told her simply. Ron looked alarmed.

"Is Talonflame…?"

"Talonflame is fine," Harry assured him quickly. "I left him with Pomfrey overnight but he was barely scratched. However, Zubat was in a lot worse condition."

"Wait, you were there for Zubat?" Ron asked, confused.

"He was quite badly burned," Harry explained. "He's not battle hardened the way Talonflame is. That one attack did a lot of damage."

"You can say that again," Ginny commented. "Zubat dropped like a stone. I feel bad for the kid, although I can't say I'm not pleased to see Smith forced to shut up like that."

"I agree," said Hermione. "Not about Smith…" Ron rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe I do think he deserved to be taken down a peg or two. But no, I was talking about Zubat's trainer. It was really nice of you Harry to be looking out for Zubat's wellbeing like that, I'm sure it meant a lot to him."

Harry shrugged vaguely, turning away to avoid her gaze in embarrassment. "I just remembered what it was like when Fletchinder got hurt in third year," he said. "It meant a lot when Cedric came to check up on him, it was only right I do the same."

A small silence fell amongst the group.

"Well," said Ron, clapping his hands together. "What's done is done and who cares, we're here to celebrate. After today we're one step closer to retaining the Quidditch Cup."

"Don't you think it is a bit too soon to be thinking like that," Hermione said warningly. "You have only just beaten Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw and Slytherin will both pose much tougher challenges."

"Yeah, but we'll be ready," Ron told her. "Why are you being so negative? We won."

"I'm not being negative," Hermione argued hotly. "I'm just being realistic. If you take away the points Harry won for catching the Snitch then the scores in that match were almost level. And Hufflepuff are known to be the worst team in the school."

"Yeah, but we've got Harry," Ron pointed out, rolling his eyes. "You can't just take his points away and say that means anything. If we can match up against Ravenclaw and Slytherin and Harry gets the Snitch then we win, simple."

"And what happens if Harry doesn't get the Snitch?" Hermione countered. "What if Cho gets the Snitch? Or Malfoy? They're both talented Seekers."

"And neither one of them has ever beaten Harry to the Snitch," Ron pointed out.

"Hey, Ron," Seamus appeared suddenly, bringing an abrupt end to Ron and Hermione's brewing argument. "Demelza and Anna have a few friends who want to hear from Gryffindor's star Keeper. What do you say?"

"I'm there," Ron told him. "It'll be good to spend some time with people who are actually positive about our chances this year." Ron stood up, casting a very significant look at Hermione, before following Seamus across the Common Room.

Hermione sighed. "Honestly," she muttered. "I was only trying to help." Harry and Ginny shared a look.

"Honestly," Harry said cautiously. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but I'm on Ron's side here." Hermione's head snapped to look at him.

"What?"

"Well, you are being a bit of a downer," Harry told her.

"I'm just being realistic," Hermione objected. "You guys have a lot of work to do if you want to be able to beat Ravenclaw or Slyth-"

"We know," Ginny interjected. "Believe me, we know. Including Ron. But this is a victory party, couldn't all that wait until tomorrow." Hermione looked at her and sighed.

"I suppose so," she muttered heavily. She glanced around.

"I think I'll go up," she told them, rising to her feet. "I want to get some work done and there's no way that's going to happen down here. See you guys tomorrow."

"Night, Hermione," Harry and Ginny said as Hermione walked away, skirting round the side of the celebrating Gryffindors before disappearing up the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

Harry glanced at Ginny. A silence fell between them.

"Eh," Harry said awkwardly. The silence just needed to be filled. "Good game, I thought. Eh, you agree?"

"Yeah," said Ginny.

Silence fell once more.

Harry sighed. "This isn't going to work, is it?" He said. He rubbed a hand tiredly over his face. "This… this is just not working."

Ginny opened her mouth to speak, before stopping herself, as though thinking over what she was about to say. She closed her mouth again and reflexively licked her lips, glancing over at Harry, before she cleared her throat.

"No, it's not working," she admitted. Harry's chest tightened. "But that doesn't mean it won't work." Harry frowned at her.

"I don't-"

"It was stupid to expect things to just go back to normal in one day," Ginny pointed out. "Things like this… they take time. So, yeah, it's awkward. But we've spoken more words to each other today than we have for months. That's improvement."

"And besides," Ginny continued, rising to her feet and brushing down her jumper. "I was thinking over everything last night and I realised you were right. There's no point wasting what we have just because we don't know what that is yet. We're at war, we don't have the luxury of time. So, maybe things aren't great now, but they'll get better. And until then let's just try and enjoy ourselves, yeah."

"I'll see you around, Harry," she said, and she walked past him, patting him on the arm as she went.

Harry sat still as Ginny left him, sitting alone in the somewhat secluded corner of the common room, his arm seeming to burn from where she'd touched it. His butterbeer was reassuringly cool in his hands and he stared down at the label before lifting it to his lips to have a sip.

Placing the butterbeer down on the table Harry looked over his shoulder to where the party continued. Most of the house were still there, laughing and talking, even as the sky outside turned dark. Soon enough Harry would be pulled back into the party, probably by Ron, Dean, or Seamus, but Harry found himself not in the mood to celebrate. He needed to be alone, he needed space to think, and he wasn't going to get any of that in Gryffindor Tower.

There were other towers though, and many of them Harry knew would be most likely deserted. And as he stepped out onto the top of the tallest tower he found it to be precisely as expected.

* * *

Harry took in a deep breath, the cool air brought in by a strong breeze filling his lungs. Up atop the tallest tower he was as high as he could possibly be. All around the Hogwarts grounds spread out below him as if on canvas.

He walked to the battlements, sitting and looking down over the edge to the sheer drop and the grass below, a long long way down. It was so quiet up here, he pondered as he allowed his gaze to rise up, flitting over the castle walls, across the forest and lake, over Hagrid's cabin and beyond the boundary walls, all the way to the distant lights of Hogsmeade village and the mountains that surrounded them.

A small flash of light caught Harry's attention and Harry glanced down at his belt. Eevee's Pokéball had burst open, without prompting, and a moment later the Pokémon had appeared alongside him.

"Eevee?" The small Pokémon shook himself, having been confined to his Pokéball for quite awhile, before he stretched off and jumped into Harry's arms.

"Careful," Harry said hastily, moving away from the edge of the tower and gently lowering Eevee safely to the stony floor. "We're a long way up, you could fall."

Eevee titled his head in confusion and Harry chuckled.

"Talonflame's not here to catch you if you fall," he warned. "And flying isn't one of the many types you can evolve into." Eevee looked disappointed, perhaps at the idea that he wouldn't ever be able to fly, and Harry chuckled again.

"Come here," he said, dangling a hand over the safe side of the parapet, encouraging Eevee closer. "We can sit here together." Eevee wandered up to him and nuzzled into Harry's offered hand, Harry expertly scratching his head in the one spot Eevee always loved.

For a long time they sat there, Harry overlooking the edge of the tower, Eevee relaxing obliviously under his administrations. It could have been hours, it might only have been minutes. Time did not seem to pass the same way up in the silence of the tower.

Harry sighed.

"It's been a confusing day for me, Eevee," he said. Eevee opened his eyes and looked at him. "I wish I knew where I stood but honestly… honestly, I have no idea."

Eevee looked concerned, gently licking his hand to comfort him, and Harry could not help but smile.

"Alright, I'll tell you," he said. "But only if you promise not to tell anybody." Eevee nodded his head frantically, his cute face adorably serious, and again Harry couldn't hold back a smile.

"Well then," he said. "I guess I can tell you. It's about Ginny. You know who Ginny is, don't you?" Eevee nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yes, you like Ginny, don't you. I like her too. It's just… for me, things are a bit more complicated."

Harry paused, watching Eevee's earnest expression, and he wondered how to explain it to him. Pokémon didn't think the same way people did, and Eevee was still so very young. How much could he possibly understand?

Well, Harry would give it a go anyway.

"Do you know love?" Harry asked Eevee. "Do you know what it feels like to be ready to do anything for someone? Ready to do anything to make them happy and keep them safe?" Eevee nodded his head assuredly. "Well, that's love. And I love lots of people. I love Ron and Hermione, I would do anything for them. I love Mr and Mrs Weasley and Remus and… Sirius." Harry sighed. "I loved him more than anyone."

"And I love you guys, too," Harry continued quickly. "You, Pikachu, Talonflame and Charizard are like my family." Eevee licked his hand. Harry smiled. "I love you too, Eevee," he told him.

Harry paused as he came to the crux of the matter, and as he thought how to say what he was going through he looked out onto the quiet grounds for inspiration. They were so perfectly still, not a leaf out of place.

He let out a long sigh.

"But, you see, Eevee," Harry continued in a murmur. "There's one special kind of love that a human can have for another. It trumps everything. Family, friends, they're nothing in comparison to this. It's the love my parents had for each other, the love of Mr and Mrs Weasley, and it's possibly the love Ginny has for me… and maybe I have for her. And I wish I knew. I wish I knew because if it is then there'd be no point in holding back, no point in not grabbing hold of it, grabbing hold of her, with both hands and never letting go. But if it's not… if it's not and I act like it is I could hurt her, hurt her worse than anyone ever could. And I don't want that."

"I guess I need to know how I feel," he said tiredly. "But the thing is I don't know how. What if I never know? What if I think I do know and I turn out to be wrong? It's not like there's a manual for this sort of stuff." He glanced down at Eevee.

"I suppose it'd be wishful thinking to expect you to know the answer," Harry said wryly. Eevee let out a sorrowful cry. "That's okay, it's not your fault." Harry reached down to ruffle Eevee's fur.

A strange tingling sensation spread through his fingers as Harry ran them through the soft fur of Eevee's head. Harry pulled his hand away, confused, and the tingling feeling started to fade.

"Eevee?"

The small brown Pokémon had started to glow. For a moment Harry was confused, panicked, even, before he started to recognise the glow for what it was and his mouth fell open.

Eevee's body quickly became encompassed in light, shining bright in the dark sky above, the light emanating from every single hair in his body as his figure started to shift. He grew, his body becoming larger but at the same time more streamlined, more defined, and as the glow started to fade it became apparent that his fur had transformed to a pitch black, gold rings marking his new form.

Red eyes turned to face him.

Awestruck, Harry scrambled around in his pockets for his Pokédex, finding it quickly and pulling it out to point it at Eevee's new form.

"Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokémon. When exposed to the moon's aura the rings on its body glow and it's filled with a mysterious power."

Harry looked up from his Pokédex and gazed at his new Pokémon. "Umbreon," he whispered, his voice nothing more than a breath. "Wow."

"Quite."

Harry jumped violently and, for a brief moment, he lost his balance, dangling perilously over the edge of the parapet, a feeling of weightlessness enveloping him as his eyes opened wide, before he felt a strong tug on his jumper and Umbreon pulled him back to safety.

His companion chuckled.

"Sorry for startling you," Dumbledore said, his eyes dancing with mirth. "I had not realised just how oblivious you were to your surroundings." Harry gaped.

"I could have died," he gasped, gesturing wildly out over the edge of the tower. "And all you can say is sorry. You nearly put Voldemort out of a job."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I assure you, Harry, that had Umbreon not succeeded in pulling you to safety I would not have stood by and let you plummet to your death," Dumbledore told him with a smile.

"Glad to hear it," Harry responded, his heart still racing. "Where did you even come from? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was merely taking a leisurely stroll around the castle," Dumbledore told him. "It is a favourite pastime of mine and I so rarely get the opportunity to do so these days. And it just so happened that upon passing the tower I heard your voice and I decided to see how you were, and was just in time to witness Eevee's startling evolution. Then I commented on my amazement and that is about the time you nearly fell off the tower."

"Yeah," Harry muttered, rubbing at his chest and sliding down to a more secure position against the wall. "I get all the luck."

"At least for tonight," Dumbledore told him. "It is always a special moment when a Pokémon evolves."

"Yeah," Harry muttered, looking over at Umbreon. A frown crossed his face. "Yeah, about that," he said, turning to Dumbledore. "What happened?" Dumbledore smiled.

"Eevee are truly fascinating Pokémon, Harry," he said. "I'm sure you are aware of their many possible evolutions?"

"Jolteon, Flareon, Vaporeon, Espeon, Umbreon, Glaceon, Leafeon and Sylveon," Harry recited from memory.

"Well, these evolutions have a variety of conditions that must be met," Dumbledore told him. "Some require evolution stones, like Jolteon and the Thunder Stone. Leafeon and Glaceon evolve in certain environments. For Umbreon what is required is a bond of friendship, one strong enough to kick start the evolution process, and the signal for this process to begin must occur under the cover of night. I do not know what it is you were talking about before I arrived, though I imagine it must have been highly personal and, if so, I will not pry."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said gratefully. The idea of talking about his problems with Ginny with Albus Dumbledore was beyond ludicrous.

"Anyway, I suppose it was just my curiosity that brought me here," Dumbledore told him. "But now that I am I wish to offer a heartfelt congratulations. And on the Quidditch front, too. I hear your team were magnificent." Harry frowned.

"You weren't there?" He asked, surprised. Harry knew he was busy but usually Dumbledore made a point of attending school events such as Quidditch matches.

Dumbledore sighed. "No, I wasn't," he said. "I'm sure it has not escaped your notice that I have been absent from the school more than usual this year."

"For Legion work, right?" Harry quizzed. Dumbledore hesitated.

"Mostly," Dumbledore admitted eventually. "For the rest I can't tell you… or rather I can't tell you yet. In time I fully intend to fill you in on my wanderings but before that we still have much we need to discuss."

"Like what?" Harry asked. "Is this about what you're showing me in the lessons?" Dumbledore inclined his head. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"I'm sorry, Harry?"

"Why are we not having more lessons?" Harry asked. "If they are so important and you have to keep secrets from me…?"

Dumbledore considered him.

"I suppose it has been awhile since we last met," he pondered. "Time does pass quickly. I suppose if you so desire we can have our next lesson now, that is if you don't have somewhere else to be."

"No sir," Harry said quickly.

"In that case," said Dumbledore. "Let us head to my office. I have much I wish to share with you."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

To Aoi Usa: Don't worry, Luna will be commentating a match. Other than that thank you for sticking with the story. I can only ask you give me a chance and if you do and still don't like the pairing then that just means I haven't done a good enough job writing it.

Next chapter will be another lesson with Dumbledore so I'll see you all then.


	14. Tom Riddle

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The sight of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter wandering through the halls of Hogwarts, an Umbreon walking at Harry's heel, would be something to behold for a passing student. Yet Harry and Dumbledore came across no one on their way to Dumbledore's office, no one except Argus Filch's mangy Glameow, Mrs Norris, and soon Dumbledore was unlocking his office door and gesturing Harry inside.

"Chime!"

Dumbledore's Chimecho floated cheerfully across the room, wrapping her ribbon like tail around Harry's arm and smiling up at him.

"Hey Chimecho," Harry greeted, returning the smile. Chimecho beamed in return before her attention was caught by the other Pokémon in the room. Unwinding from Harry's arm Chimecho floated down to Umbreon's level, looking at the Pokémon curiously as Umbreon stared back.

A moment of silent contemplation seemed to be enough for Chimecho to decide the dark type Pokémon was alright and she snaked her tail around Umbreon's torso and gave another happy cry.

"So good to see our Pokémon getting along," Dumbledore commented. He'd wandered past Harry as Chimecho had made her greetings and now stood behind his magnificent oak desk. "But I think it is time we got on to our lesson." Dumbledore's time plant lay on the desk before him.

Harry approached the desk. "You have another memory to show me, sir?" He asked, looking down at the glowing blue plant on the desk. Dumbledore nodded.

"Riolu," he said, and the small fighting type appeared upon the desk next to the time plant. "We'll be needing your help, if you don't mind."

"Hi, Riolu," Harry greeted. Riolu looked a bit surprised to hear Harry address him and it took Harry a moment to realise that on the last two occasions on which they'd met Harry had not been in the mood for pleasantries.

Riolu recovered quickly enough, favouring Harry with a small smile and a nod of the head before turning his attention expectantly to Dumbledore, awaiting orders.

Dumbledore turned to Harry.

"When we last spoke we had just finished our discussion on the history of the Gaunts," Dumbledore recapped. "We had Marvolo in prison, Morfin returning to Little Hangleton, and young Merope, pregnant and fearing her brother's wrath, disappearing, never to be seen or heard from in Little Hangleton ever again."

"And so we pick up our story with Merope, having now found her way to London, lost and alone and heavily pregnant, before she found some much needed shelter in the form of an orphanage. It is there that she would give birth and, not long after, die, but not before giving her son a name. Tom, after his father. Marvolo, after her's."

"She named him after her father?" Harry said, shaking his head in disbelief. He'd already known Voldemort's full name so this came as no surprise but still Harry could not understand why Merope would choose to name her son after a man such as Marvolo Gaunt.

"The bonds of family should never be underestimated," Dumbledore warned. "Though he was undoubtedly abusive and cruel Marvolo was still her father, and along with her brother he would likely have been all Merope had while growing up. Even though she left that all far behind it is hardly surprising she chose to remember them."

Harry fell quiet. It was a hard reminder of just how terrible a situation Merope had been in.

"And the importance of family would play a role of huge importance from that point onwards," Dumbledore continued. "It is something that young Tom Riddle would grow up without. Not only that but in the orphanage he would never know anything about them. His mother died in childbirth, the workers at the orphanage knew little of who she was or where she'd come from, and all he could tell of his father was that he was not there, and that they shared a name, Tom Riddle."

"And that," Dumbledore said significantly. "Is where I come in." Dumbledore nodded his head significantly towards Riolu and, as though this had been planned long in advance, Riolu started to raise his paw to the time plant.

"There was little Merope could do for her son, other than take him away from her life of fear and squalor, but she made one last attempt before she died," Dumbledore said as Riolu's energy started to build. "Merope, knowing her family's connection to one of the four founders of Hogwarts, though never having attended herself, begged the nurses to have her son signed up on the Hogwarts register. And then, ten and a half years later, I was sent to meet him."

A blue pulse flashed over the room as Riolu finished building power and placed his paw against the glowing time plant. Dumbledore's office faded into the background and the busy streets of London, sixty years removed from the present, took its place.

Dumbledore was easily recognisable. Even sixty years ago he had his signature long hair and beard, though it was much shorter back then and seemed to perhaps contain some colour, though the shimmering blue nature of the scene made it hard to judge.

Dumbledore was walking down the road but stopped as the scene began to play, looking both ways before crossing the street where he approached a rather large and formidable looking building across the way.

He rang the doorbell.

A couple minutes passed as Dumbledore stood patiently on the doorstep, his hands hooked casually into his belt and his head turning to look down the street with an expression of mild curiosity. Then the door opened.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" The woman who answered the door was quite short, though that may have only been in comparison to Dumbledore, and was fairly young, perhaps in her early to mid thirties. She wore a uniform, a simple yet old fashioned design, and she looked up at Dumbledore with the sort of tiredness that suggested she was very busy, and that she hoped Dumbledore was not going to add to her list of problems she had to deal with.

Dumbledore bowed respectfully. "Good morning," he greeted. "Am I correct in saying that this is St Mary's Orphanage?" The woman nodded.

"Yes, that's right. What do you need?"

"My name is Albus Dumbledore," Dumbledore introduced. "I have an appointment to meet with a Mrs Cole. I understand she is in charge of this establishment."

"That's right," the woman said. "Come on in, I'll take you to her office."

Dumbledore gratefully steeped across the threshold and the door shut behind him with a snap.

The inside of the orphanage was not very welcoming. It was small and cramped, and the past version of Dumbledore had to duck his head to avoid the dangling light fitting. The corridor they were standing in was full of identical closed doors - offices, from what Harry could tell - and the majority of the space was taken up by a large staircase leading to the upper floors.

The woman who had answered the door ignored the stairs, instead leading Dumbledore down the corridor to the back of the building where she knocked on one of the doors and poked her head inside.

"Mrs Cole," she called into the room. "I have an Albus Dumbledore here to see you." Something was said from inside, something Harry couldn't quite make out, but it must have been positive as the woman quickly backed out of the room and gestured for Dumbledore to go inside.

As Dumbledore went she disappeared back down the corridor.

"Mrs Cole, an absolute pleasure to meet you," Dumbledore greeted warmly. Harry looked around the office.

The room was packed. Filing cabinets lined every inch of wall space, making the room seem quite a lot smaller than it actually was. A small amount of light shone through from a grimy window to the side and it lit up the centre of the room where sat a desk strewn with papers, behind which sat a woman who matched the office well.

Mrs Cole was an old woman, with dark grey hair tied back into a severe knot. Her wrinkled features demonstrated age but her eyes were sharp and piercing as she gazed up from behind her desk at the visitor.

"Professor Dumbledore," she replied, her voice clipped. "I see you have arrived promptly." She did not offer him a seat.

"Well, I would not wish to be an inconvenience," Dumbledore replied genially. "I am sure you are very busy and I endeavour not to take up any more of your time than necessary. I trust you are aware of why I'm here."

"Yes," Mrs Cole said sharply. "The boy."

"He is registered to attend our school this year," Dumbledore acknowledged.

"I am aware of that," Mrs Cole snapped. "I was here when he arrived. It was a damn impossible task finding anyone in your ministry willing to listen when we tried to get him registered. Almost gave up hope, your people were so incompetent."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't," Dumbledore told her. "In Pokémon families carrying on the tradition of Pokémon training is of the utmost importance."

"I'm aware," Mrs Cole said. "I've dealt with your kind before. I don't normally approve but in some cases… well, Tom doesn't seem to fit in well with the normal world. If he can find a place in your's I'll bite my tongue and swallow my misgivings."

"Believe me, all I want is the best for each and every student that passes through the doors of Hogwarts," Dumbledore promised. "May I have a seat?" Mrs Cole eyed him up.

"Go on then," she barked, jerking a gnarled hand at the chair across the desk. Dumbledore sat down gratefully. "So, what business do we need to attend to? What do you need from us?"

"Very little," Dumbledore assured her. "Hogwarts has a trust for students that come from disadvantaged backgrounds so money is not an issue. Mr Riddle, should he decide to accept our offer, will be staying at Hogwarts from September to late May, with opportunities to visit during the holidays, which we'll keep in contact with you about. The Hogwarts Express leaves from King's Cross Station on September 1st at eleven o'clock and school supplies can be purchased from Diagon Alley, which I will show Mr Riddle how to find later today."

"So you're all set then," Mrs Cole said brusquely.

"Mostly," Dumbledore responded. "I would like to ask a few questions, if I may, on how exactly he came to be here. I have searched and I was unable to find a family by the name of Riddle in the Pokémon Community."

"Well, that's his name alright," Mrs Cole muttered. "She was quite adamant about that. Tom Marvolo Riddle, named after his father and grandfather."

"This is the mother we're talking about?" Dumbledore clarified. Mrs Cole nodded.

"I suppose it could have been the fathers surname she gave him," Mrs Cole reasoned. "She was in quite a state, perhaps she was trying to hide from her own family. Perhaps the name she gave was completely made up. Riddle."

"And did she happen to mention her own name?" Dumbledore asked.

"I believe she might have mentioned it," Mrs Cole said thoughtfully. "I seem to remember thinking it was unusual. But as I said, she was in a right state, cared not a jot about her own name, and for our part we had more pressing matters to attend to."

"Like?" Dumbledore questioned.

"The baby," Mrs Cole exclaimed. "When she arrived she was cold and wet, wearing nothing but rags with no money to her name. She would have been stick thin if she weren't so heavily pregnant. Went into labour within mere minutes of us taking her in. Then the baby was born and we were doing our best to look after him and next thing we know she's dead."

"It must have been a difficult time," Dumbledore said quietly.

"For her, most definitely," Mrs Cole pointed out. "Forget our panic, the poor girl was young and unwell and the only things she could focus on after giving birth were for us to get him registered for your school and the boy's name. And then she died. Poor girl was most likely only holding on to see her child born."

Dumbledore bowed his head solemnly.

"Anyway," Mrs Cole said with a sigh. "After we made arrangements for her body we set off trying to talk to your Ministry. Took months before someone from the education department would listen to us. Said he put him on the waiting list. To be honest I half expected him to be lying, just saying it to get rid of us, but here you are. And I'm glad. As I said, Tom could really need this."

"Yes, you did say that," Dumbledore noted. "Tell me a little about Tom. What has you so worried?" Mrs Cole pursed her lips.

"He's a quiet boy," she said. "Doesn't socialise like the others. Doesn't usually say much at all but apparently he's got a temper, when pushed. The other kids stay out of his way now."

"Hmm," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Tell me, do you think him troubled?"

"With all due respect, Mr Dumbledore, this is an orphanage," Mrs Cole challenged. "They're all a little troubled. Tom…" she trailed off, her eyes narrowed.

"This won't affect his chances of being accepted at your school, will it?" She asked sharply.

"Not even slightly," Dumbledore assured her. "We accept all those who wish to come and learn about Pokémon. I ask merely for the sake of Tom, and for what we can do to help him when he comes to Hogwarts." Mrs Cole seemed to relax.

"He doesn't fit in," she said. "He doesn't engage. We've thought about getting a pet but we simply do not have the finances for something like that."

"Hence why you think a Pokémon might be beneficial," Dumbledore noted. Mrs Cole nodded. "Well, I hope you're right."

Mrs Cole straightened in her chair. "So, what do we do from here?" She asked. "Are you going to talk to him or should I?"

"I would like to speak with him, if you do not mind," Dumbledore told her. "It is procedure for children from non-Pokémon families to have a member of staff visit them in person to hand over their acceptance letter, as well as to pass on some key information about our world and our school."

"Well," Mrs Cole said abruptly, jumping from her chair. She was unbelievably small. "No time to waste. Lunch will be served soon. I'll take you to Tom's room."

Dumbledore rose to his feet as Mrs Cole scuttled expertly around her desk and led him back out the door and down the entry corridor once more. She led him upstairs, her feet shuffling rapidly as Dumbledore strode sedately behind her, before turning off on the first floor landing. Two boys ran past them, slowing to a walk under Mrs Cole's firm gaze, before she came to a stop, turning to a nearby door.

She knocked.

"Tom?" She called inside, pushing the door open.

A small boy sat in the room beyond, sitting on the edge of a threadbare bed in an otherwise unremarkable room. His dark hair fell neatly around his face and he turned calmly to where they stood in the doorway.

"Yes, Mrs Cole?" He asked politely. His voice was smooth and chillingly familiar and he looked over the intruders with a sort of restrained curiosity, his eyes flickering over Dumbledore in just a moment before they turned back to Mrs Cole.

"You've got a visitor," Mrs Cole announced, stepping aside to allow Dumbledore to enter the room behind her. "This is Professor Dumbledore, a teacher at Hogwarts School of Pokémon Training."

"Pokémon?" Tom said. His voice was interested.

"Yes, Pokémon," Mrs Cole told him. "He wants to talk to you about an opportunity for you to attend his school."

"Okay," Tom said but he was no longer paying Mrs Cole any attention. His eyes were on Dumbledore and it was quite clear where his priorities lay.

Mrs Cole recognised this too. "I'll leave you to it," she told them, preparing to leave. "Professor, if you would stop by my office when you're done." And she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her.

For a long moment there was silence in the room. One which Dumbledore eventually broke.

"Very well, let's crack on, shall we," he said, approaching a small wooden chair that sat in the corner of the room. "May I?" Tom Riddle nodded, not saying a word, and his eyes followed Dumbledore as he pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down.

"Tom… is it alright if I call you Tom?" Again Tom Riddle nodded. "Tom, as you heard my name is Professor Dumbledore, Physiology Professor at Hogwarts school of Pokémon Training, and I am here to let you know that you are on our register to start your first year of schooling with us, if you would like to, that is."

"How?" Tom asked. Dumbledore frowned.

"I'm sorry, I am not quite sure what you are asking."

"How am I registered at your school?" Tom clarified. "I've never heard of Hogwarts before."

"Ah," Dumbledore said in understanding. "I had not realised you didn't know. Your mother insisted on it at the time of your birth and the staff here at the time made sure to make it so. You know about Pokémon, don't you?"

"Of course," Tom said disparagingly and he moved on, as though the question deserved no more response. "Why would my mother sign me up for this school? She had no Pokémon."

"I am afraid I can't answer that question," Dumbledore said sadly. "Maybe in time we will know, but, alas…"

"It must have been my father," Tom said without emotion. "That would make sense."

"Perhaps," Dumbledore agreed. Tom's eyes narrowed suddenly.

"Are you really from a Pokémon school?" He asked suspiciously. "You are not one of those… doctors?" Dumbledore raised his hands unthreateningly.

"I assure you I am not," he said.

"Prove it."

Tom's command came out with surprising force, particularly in contrast with the soft way in which he held himself. His expression, even after his declaration for proof, remained calm. The only thing that gave him away was the hint of fear in his eyes, full of distrust as he glared at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore lowered his hands. "As you wish," he said quietly and a hand disappeared into his jacket, a Pokéball soon appearing in his grasp. He opened it.

"Chingling!" The happy cry of the small bell like Pokémon rang around the room as it appeared on the bed, no more than a foot away from Riddle. It gazed around the room, eyes passing over Dumbledore, before it spotted the young boy and it gave another cheerful greeting.

"This is Chingling, a Psychic type Pokémon," Dumbledore introduced, gesturing with a wave towards the Pokémon. "It is known for its musical cry and for its ability to float when travelling, a useful skill that allows it to evade ground based attacks."

It was unclear just how much of this Tom Riddle had heard. He was staring at Chingling with something akin to awe, leaning forward where he sat and only just seeming to restrain himself from reaching out and touching the Pokémon.

His eyes turned to Dumbledore. "When can I get one of these?"

"Soon," Dumbledore told him with a smile, a familiar twinkle in his eye. "Most of the Pokémon you'll acquire will require you to catch them yourself, and there are many opportunities to do so once you get to Hogwarts, but traditionally in the Pokémon world the first Pokémon a young trainer receives, their starter Pokémon, will be purchased from a shop in Diagon Alley by the name of Ollivander's."

"Where is that?" Tom asked.

"That I plan to show you, once we've concluded our business here. Though if you wish to do this with one of your carers, such as Mrs Cole for example, I would completely understand," Dumbledore offered.

"I can go on my own," Tom said quickly. Dumbledore looked at him. "I don't like dealing with other people."

"I see," Dumbledore said softly. "I would highly discourage you from travelling alone but I will not force the issue." He reached into his pocket. "And I think it is about time I hand over this."

For a brief moment the familiar Hogwarts letter was visible in Dumbledore's hand before the scene was suddenly whipped away, the blue light retreating rapidly into the time plant and revealing Dumbledore's office once more.

"Young Tom Riddle would ignore my advice," Dumbledore spoke into the silence, picking up as his past self left off. "Even at a young age he was fiercely independent, preferring his own company above all others and automatically distrustful of the people around him. But, resourceful, he successfully made it into Diagon Alley, retrieved his allowance from the Hogwarts trust at Gringotts, and purchased his supplies, as well as his starter Pokémon, Larvitar."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed.

I just want to give you all a heads up that I've started a twitter profile for my work. The idea is to keep people up to date on when I'm uploading a chapter or a new piece of work, particularly if for some reason I can't upload in my usual slots. You can find me at KnightWolfsbane on twitter and I hope to see you there, and if there is anything else you think I could do with this account then please let me know.

If you have any questions you can contact me there too and I'll do my best to respond promptly.

That being said I won't be able to upload later this week so the next chapter won't be up until this time next week.

See you then.


	15. The Making Of Lord Voldemort

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Harry blinked. "Wait, what?" He blurted out. "Larvitar? Voldemort had a Larvitar?"

"He did," Dumbledore told him. "It was his starter Pokémon and he was closer to it than he has perhaps ever been to a human. The same could be said for all the Pokémon he caught; Houndoom, Gengar, Noivern…"

"Where are they now?" Harry wondered. The idea of Voldemort with such strong and powerful Pokémon was terrifying.

Dumbledore let out a long, heavy sigh. "The same place as your mother's Electrode," he said simply.

"They're dead?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"I told you Voldemort was especially close to his Pokémon, closer than he was to any of his Death Eaters," Dumbledore said. "He trusted them, and though many of his most fanatic of supporters would claim otherwise it has been many, many years since he has trusted another human so, naturally, when Voldemort learned of the existence of a boy that had the power to defeat him he ensured to bring along only his Pokémon for such an important task. All of them." Dumbledore sighed.

"It was Houndoom whose body was found at your parents' house that night, Harry," he said. "He was closest to the blast and was killed instantly. The other Pokémon were in their Pokéballs at the time, and the damage done was more than enough to kill each and every one of them."

"It is this reason that Voldemort still holds so much hatred for your mother," Dumbledore told him. "Voldemort has suffered setbacks and loss of his followers, both to imprisonment and death. But Lily Potter took away from him the one thing he truly valued in life, and since that day he has vowed to get his revenge, by killing you."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. The very idea that Voldemort had cared for anything was a shock, though from what he'd seen from the memory it was easier to digest. But to finally understand Voldemort's anger, his rage, and his single-mindedness in ensuring Harry's death, since that very first time they had met face to face at the end of Harry's first year, truly blew him away.

"So what about Nagini?" Harry asked eventually, tearing himself away from thoughts of a young Voldemort, backed by a Tyranitar of immense power, and focusing on Dumbledore. "She is still by his side. But you said all his Pokémon had died."

"I believe Voldemort found Nagini after his expulsion from his body," Dumbledore stated simply. "I had certainly never heard of her before his return. It is noteworthy, however, that although Voldemort has been back for well over a year now she remains his only Pokémon. Even after going through a process as dehumanising as regaining physical form Voldemort has not lost his ability to care for his Pokémon, and he will not accept new Pokémon lightly."

"An advantage for us," Harry noted, thinking of just how powerful Voldemort would be if he were to go out and catch some of the most dangerous wild Pokémon he could find. "One Pokémon is easier to beat than an army."

"Perhaps," Dumbledore agreed. "But one Pokémon with a bond so strong will do anything for their trainer. And if we've learned nothing from tonight it's that the connection between trainer and Pokémon has a power all of its own." Dumbledore inclined his head to where Umbreon sat next to Harry's chair and Harry's eyes followed him. Dumbledore was right. And that only made Voldemort scarier.

Dumbledore sighed.

"I know this must be difficult for you to process," he said tiredly. "Connecting the young Tom Riddle to the grown Lord Voldemort, who has committed acts of such unspeakable evil and has indeed committed them against your very self, is challenging to say the least. But it is only by understanding Voldemort's past that we can truly understand him now. And by understanding him now we can, with luck, bring an end to his reign of terror."

"With that said there is a rather significant gap in our knowledge about Lord Voldemort's childhood," Dumbledore continued. "Most significant is the question 'why?'. Why did young, quiet Tom Riddle, who for all the world looked as though he just needed something he could connect to, turn into the psychotic mass murderer we know today? The answer, I believe, lies within his seven years at Hogwarts." Dumbledore took a breath.

"Young Tom Riddle, alongside his new partner, Larvitar, travelled up to the school by Hogwarts Express, just like every other first year student," Dumbledore said. "He was sorted into Slytherin, which while noteworthy when looking back on it was neither surprising nor unsurprising at the time. He worked hard, though he maintained a distance from the rest of the student body, mirroring his time back at the orphanage in London. Still it was clear that he was supremely gifted and intelligent and that he understood his Pokémon in a way very few do, and as the years passed he even started to come out of his shell. In short, Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts was a resounding success."

"Most people would most likely mention his quiet nature or incredible talent when remembering him from his time at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said. "But one thing that is far more interesting are the reports about Tom's extracurricular activities. It seems that, particularly in his early years, young Tom Riddle spent much of his free time searching for his family."

"Of course," Harry muttered. It made sense that someone so cut off from their parents would be obsessed with finding out about them. Harry had experienced that himself.

"I assume you must be remembering Tom's curiosity about his Pokémon roots," Dumbledore noted, giving Harry a slight nod. "Then you'll no doubt remember his assertion that it must have been his father that was the Pokémon trainer. After all, his mother had no Pokémon. How could it be her?"

"But it was," said Harry.

"And that simple fact would frustrate Tom for a long time as he tried, and failed, to find out more about the Riddles," Dumbledore told him. "It was only after many disappointments that Tom entertained the notion that he might have been wrong about his mother."

"He didn't have much to go on," Dumbledore noted. "After all he'd never even known his mother's name. But he knew his grandfather's, Marvolo, and such an uncommon name as it is it wasn't long before he found out about the Gaunts, and through them his status as the heir of Salazar Slytherin."

"And then he opened the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said. "But I still don't understand how he went bad. Surely discovering you were related to one of the founders would be a good thing, think of all the good he could have done with the influence of being Slytherin's heir."

"You are right, Harry," Dumbledore said. "And I'm sure that thought passed Tom's mind at some point. But something significant happened between Tom finding out about his heritage and the events that led to Myrtle's death. Something that changed everything for the worse."

Dumbledore looked over at Riolu and nodded his head.

"This scene I'm about to show you took place much more recently than the last," Dumbledore told him. "I'm sure you remember how Bob Ogden mentioned that Morfin Gaunt was once more a resident of Azkaban. Well, after our meeting, I decided it would be a good idea for me to speak to Morfin myself. And I got a little more than I had bargained for."

"Why was Morfin even in Azkaban?" Harry asked, confused. "I can't remember, why was it he was sent back? What did he do?"

"Well," Dumbledore said simply. "After roughly sixteen years of living alone in the Gaunt shack Morfin, after a few drinks, went over to the house across the way, and killed three people: Tom Riddle Sr, and his mother and father." Dumbledore nodded to Riolu and a moment later the office was bathed in blue.

The room they were now looking at was very sparsely decorated. All that was inside the dull, stone walled room was a table and two chairs. On one side of the table sat Dumbledore, looking much more like he did in the present than he had in the last memory. On the other side sat a man with long, matted grey hair, darkened by years of grime, that hung down around a pale, gaunt face. Prison garb hung off his emaciated form.

The man scowled.

"Who are you?" He snapped. His voice was raspy, probably from lack of use, and he glared hatefully across the table.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore," Dumbledore replied calmly. There was no flicker of recognition. The man sneered.

"Never heard of you," he retorted.

"I'm not surprised, Mr Gaunt," said Dumbledore. "You've been in here for a long time."

"So what do you want?" Morfin snapped. "You know, there's a reason I don't get many visitors."

"Is that reason because you have no friends or family that would care to visit you?" Dumbledore asked smoothly. Morfin snarled.

"What do you know about it," he demanded, rising to his feet threateningly. Movement shifted in the corner of Harry's eye and he finally noticed the two Azkaban Dusknoir who hovered by either side of the door. Morfin reconsidered. He lowered himself slowly back into his chair.

"I know a lot more about it than you think," Dumbledore said calmly, not looking at all ruffled by Morfin's aggression. "I know your father is dead, that he passed away here in Azkaban after being imprisoned for years of abuse and violence, and that your sister disappeared soon after you yourself returned from your first stint at this prison."

Morfin gnashed his teeth angrily. "Don't talk to me about her," he snapped. "Stupid skank didn't know nothin'. She couldn't figure out which end to shit out of without my help."

"Yet she seemed to do quite well for herself once you and your father were out of the picture," Dumbledore commented.

"She whored herself out to the richest muggle that would take her," spat Morfin. "Then she went and got herself knocked up, with that filth's seed. Did the smart thing and ran for it. Would have been in for a right treat if I'd got my hands on her."

"You were aware your sister was pregnant?" Dumbledore sounded surprised.

"Yeah," Morfin grunted. "Not for years later but I found out. She had that bastard's son. Got what was comin' to her too. Dead now. That's what happens. Breeding with a muggle, allowing the blood of Salazar Slytherin to be tainted by muggle blood flowin' through its veins."

"You seem rather well informed considering that no one else I talked to seem to have known anything about your sister's disappearance," Dumbledore commented idly, though his eyes were calculating. "Who told you of your sister's death? Where did you hear of her son?"

Morfin seemed to hesitate at those words, looking torn between keeping quiet and spilling his guts. In the end anger prevailed.

"I met him," Morfin growled, sounding positively livid. "The boy. Looked exactly like his worthless father too. Even had the same name. Only just stopped myself from ripping his head off when I saw him. Then he started speaking."

"And what did he say?" Dumbledore asked patiently.

"Told me who he was," Morfin spat. "Told me his name. Told me about Merope and his childhood, as though I cared. Said he was lookin' for Marvolo. Well, I told him where to find him - six feet under."

"And what happened then?" Dumbledore prodded. "After he realised your father wasn't there?"

"Asked who I was," Morfin spat. "The nerve. So I told him who I was: Morfin, the last descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Course he ruined that, the little shit. Then he started askin' all these questions, questions about what happened, like with Merope and that. So I told him."

"And what did you tell him?" Dumbledore asked warily.

"I told him how worthless his mother was," Morfin answered gleefully. "I told him how she sold herself out as the muggle's plaything. I told him how she got knocked up and the muggle kicked her to the curb, and how she ran away like the pathetic little worm she was." Morfin grinned.

"You should have seen it," he whispered hungrily. "The anger. The rage. There was some of father left in him, even tainted. Enough to drown out Merope's cowardice and that muggle's stinking arrogance. It rose up inside him before my very eyes, like fire, and consumed him until he was barely recognisable."

Dumbledore sat silently as Morfin finished speaking, watching the incarcerated man with hollow, despairing eyes. In just a matter of moments it looked as though he had aged thirty years. His whole countenance grew heavy, as though the weight of the world had settled upon him as he stared across at the wildly grinning Gaunt.

Eventually he spoke.

"Mr Gaunt," he said, his voice low and tired. "When did this meeting take place?" Morfin's smile fell.

"What? None of your business," he snapped defensively. Harry's eyebrows raised.

"Mr Gaunt," Dumbledore continued. "Did you kill Tom Riddle that night? Or was it somebody else?" Morfin looked panicked.

"What you talkin' about, it was me," he exclaimed in alarm. "I killed him, didn't I. Got him back for fucking my sister. Bastard."

"Mr Gaunt you lived less than a mile away from the Riddle household for sixteen years after you discovered Tom Riddle's relationship with your sister," Dumbledore told him. "Do you really expect me to believe that you managed to hold back that long? If you were so ready to kill him and his family, why wait?"

"I… I don't…" Morfin was sweating now.

"You do," Dumbledore told him simply. He leaned forward in his chair. "Morfin, you don't have to tell me who it was, I already know the answer. But we both know that it was not you who killed the Riddles that night."

Morfin Gaunt stared back at Dumbledore with wide, scared eyes. His face had gone even paler than before and as he sat there he shook ever so slightly.

"He told me not to say anything," Morfin spoke in a strangled whisper. "He said to never mention he was there. And he was powerful, so I drank. I drank that night away and passed out and then woke up to aurors around me."

"And so you took the blame," Dumbledore said simply.

"I should have done it anyway," Morfin choked out. "After what he did… It should have been me." And as Morfin said these words he started to fade away, the interrogation room disappearing to reveal Dumbledore's office once more.

There was silence in the room.

"How…?" Harry started but he found he could not find the right words. "What…? Morfin, he…" He fell silent once more.

"I know what you are trying to say, Harry," Dumbledore told him with a deep, worldweary sigh. "When I first found out I felt the exact same way. How could this have happened?"

"Voldemort killed his own father," Harry said, still struggling to process everything. "Because he thought he'd abandoned his mother. Because Morfin lied to him." Dumbledore nodded his head solemnly.

"The tragic truth about the rise of Lord Voldemort is that, had things just been slightly different at any number of places none of this would have come to pass," Dumbledore said sadly. "Had Morfin not returned to Little Hangleton or had Merope thought to turn to her lover when he did it is highly likely that Voldemort would have grown up to be entirely normal, a talented trainer with a family to love, and a worthy heir of the Slytherin line."

"All because of Morfin," Harry muttered. "Had it not been for him Merope would have been happy. Tom would have known his parents, both of them. But instead he killed his father…"

"Never realising that, had he just been up front with him, he would most likely have been welcomed in with open arms," Dumbledore finished sadly. "Tom Riddle Sr never married, even sixteen years after Merope had left. If that doesn't speak volumes to what he felt for her then nothing will."

Harry rubbed his face wearily.

"And Morfin?" He asked. "What happened to him?"

"He died in Azkaban," Dumbledore said simply.

"You didn't try to get him off?" Harry asked, surprised. "I know he wasn't a good person but he was innocent."

"Yet the evidence proving that fact was severely lacking," Dumbledore pointed out. "And Morfin had willingly confessed at the time. It would have taken months to mount a defence and, to be perfectly frank, Morfin was better off in Azkaban."

"But he was innocent."

"Yes, but in trying to get him freed we would be signalling to Lord Voldemort that he had told us the truth," Dumbledore pointed out. "And that crime comes with far worse penalties than simply life in Azkaban. No, Morfin was much better off with Voldemort unaware of his treachery. And for what it's worth, Morfin passed away mere days after my visit."

"It's lucky you were able to speak to him before then," Harry noted. "Otherwise we'd probably never have found out what happened. I assume Voldemort doesn't know we know about this. He didn't kill Morfin, did he?"

"I don't think so," said Dumbledore. "Though I wouldn't put it past him. Undoubtedly he was aware of my visit on some level. After my meeting with Morfin I travelled to the Gaunt shack to see the place for myself, and that was where Voldemort found me. Indeed, that was the confrontation that led to this." Dumbledore held his blackened hand into the air.

"So he knows," Harry said. "He knows we're looking into his past."

"Most likely," Dumbledore acknowledged. "It doesn't take a genius to make that assumption. And what I think is important to take away from this is just how concerned Voldemort is about it. It was after the murder of his father that Tom Riddle took up the name Voldemort, endeavouring to become the strongest, to remove his flaws. He has cultivated a persona of fear, and of power. Most importantly he has done everything in his power to appear invulnerable to anything."

"But he's not," Harry said, cottoning on.

"He is fundamentally the same person he was before the murder of his father," Dumbledore said. "Those weaknesses he used to have are not gone just because he's tried to eradicate them. To err is to be human and Voldemort, for all he's tried to change that fact, is still very human. You might have heard the saying that I'm the only trainer Voldemort has ever feared."

"Because he thinks you remember," said Harry. Dumbledore nodded.

"It's late," he said, glancing wearily at the clock. "Very late. And we've gone through a lot of information tonight. You should get some sleep, allow your mind to come to grips with what I've shown you. I'm sure no one would be too surprised to see you sleep in tomorrow after your Quidditch victory."

"Yes sir," Harry agreed. He was exhausted. It had been a very long day. "You should sleep too, sir."

A small smile curled Dumbledore's lips. "I shall," he told him. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight," said Harry, rising to his feet. Then he stopped.

"We're still doing these lessons, aren't we?" He asked. "You haven't told me everything yet, have you?" Dumbledore nodded.

"I will let you know when it is time for us to meet again," Dumbledore told him. "You are right. There is still much we need to discuss."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to review and follow me on Twitter for updates on this and my other stories.

Until then I'll see you all next time.


	16. Message From Home

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Over the next few days and the weeks that followed Harry found himself to be extremely popular. Naturally the Gryffindors were singing his praises, congratulating him on his first win as Quidditch Captain, but he was also getting a similar response from the rest of the school, barring the Slytherins.

Harry wasn't sure entirely how it had happened but word of his visit to his opponent's Zubat had got out and earned him quite a bit of goodwill around the school. The Hufflepuffs especially, valuing fair play and grateful for the care shown to one of their own, were extra friendly in the days that followed. Susan Bones, Ernie McMillan and Hannah Abbott had all pulled him aside during class to thank him personally and a few days after the match the Hufflepuff Captain had hurried up to him in the corridors between classes to shake his hand.

Unfortunately Harry wasn't in much of a mood to fully appreciate his newfound popularity. Instead his thoughts continued to turn back to the tale of Tom Riddle, as Dumbledore had told him the night of the match, and all else seemed so tremendously unimportant in comparison.

He'd told Ron and Hermione about what he'd learned but their reactions were a bit underwhelming. While shocked by what had happened and rightfully bemoaning the way things could have very easily been different neither of them seemed particularly sympathetic towards Riddle. Perhaps it was because they weren't able to see the memories like Harry had or perhaps he just wasn't telling the story right but nothing he said seemed to change their way of thinking.

Eventually Ron had had enough.

"Why is this bothering you so much?" He asked. They were sitting in the library, alone in a far corner as Hermione sat through another Potions lesson with Slughorn, trying to study, before the topic had come up once more. "Why do you care?"

"It's important," Harry stressed. "If we don't understand Voldemort properly we won't be able to fight him."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I get that, Harry, I really do," he told him. "But what makes you think me and Hermione don't understand? You've been going on about this for ages, we've clearly got it."

"But you haven't," Harry told him fervently.

"How do you know?" Ron challenged.

"Because, the way you're acting…"

Ron sighed.

"Harry, we get it," Ron told him. "You-know-who killed his own father thinking he'd abandoned him and his mother and so he became evil because… because he figured he couldn't rely on anyone else so the only thing he could do was make himself stronger than everyone else. That way no one can hurt him."

Harry stayed silent. Ron had got it, he had understood. It just wasn't…

"I'm right, aren't I," Ron said. "And if I know all this then clearly Hermione does too. And you know that. You know we know. So what is this about?"

Harry bit his lip. What was this about? "It's just," he said but then he tailed off again. "It's like…" he sighed.

"He never knew his parents," he said eventually. "His mum was dead and then he had to learn what her family was like, and then he was told his father was even worse. I just don't understand how you can't feel sorry for him."

Harry glanced up as he finished speaking, briefly meeting Ron's gaze before he looked away. His friend's expression was sad and his eyes looked upon Harry with such a horrifying look of pity. Ron understood now.

"Harry," he said softly. He hesitated. "Look, don't think I… what I mean is, I understand. I get it. I do feel sorry for him. But…" Ron shrugged helplessly. "Look, what happened to him was bad but it's not an excuse."

"Excuse?" Harry repeated. "I wasn't saying it was an excuse."

"Yes, you were," Ron told him. "You're thinking his actions were justified. You're thinking that what You-know-who has done since then just makes sense, that it was the natural way to react to what happened."

"You don't think it's understandable?" Harry challenged.

"I do," said Ron. "But there's a difference between understandable and acceptable. What happened was terrible but bad things happen to everyone. There's no excuse, ever, for becoming what You-know-who has become. None. And you need to realise that. Because if you allow yourself to believe that he's right or that he's just misunderstood you'll never be able to beat him, and then the fighting and the killing will just go on until there's nothing left, no one left to stand against him."

Ron stopped, his breathing slightly heavy from his impassioned speech. Harry stared at him.

"Eh," Ron said awkwardly, scratching his chin in embarrassment. "Yeah, well, that's what I've got to say, so…"

"Well said," Harry told him. Ron glanced nervously at his watch.

"Look, Hermione will be out of class soon," Ron pointed out. "Why don't we head off down for lunch?"

"Good idea," Harry acknowledged. "Why don't you go on ahead? I've got some stuff I want to finish. I'll see you down there."

Ron nodded.

"Alright," he said, shifting his books and loose papers into his bag and swinging it over his shoulder. "See you, Harry."

"See you, Ron," Harry returned as the redhead turned and strode away, leaving Harry alone at the back of the library.

He sighed, allowing his head to drop into his hands and rubbing tiredly. Ron was right, deep down Harry had always known it, but it was still hard not to excuse young Tom Riddle from blame after what he had been through. And he couldn't help but think of the parallels between his situation and Tom's. Both had grown up knowing next to nothing about their parents, Harry at the Dursleys and Tom at that grim looking orphanage. The only difference, really, was how they had learned about them. Harry had Remus and Sirius, and to an extent even Professor Dumbledore. Tom had Morfin Gaunt. Honestly if Harry had been in Tom's situation he doubted he'd have acted differently.

"Hello Harry."

Harry bolted upright, eyes flying wide open, as he looked up to find Romilda Vane standing over him.

"Um, hi," Harry responded awkwardly, while simultaneously trying to calm his frantically racing pulse. "Eh, it's Romilda, right." Romilda favoured him with a glowing smile.

"I'm glad you remember me," she told him, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "It's such a privilege being on first name terms with Harry Potter."

"Eh," Harry said helplessly. He'd really rather not be sitting here right now. Unfortunately it seemed that there was no way to escape.

"I just wanted to say how impressed I was with your performance on the Quidditch pitch," Romilda told him, fluttering her eyelashes. "And checking in on the Hufflepuff boy's Pokémon, that was a real noble thing to do."

"It was nothing," Harry said, embarrassed. "It was just the right thing to do." Romilda fixed him with a dazzling smile.

"You're so modest," she said, letting out a giggle. "Always willing to downplay your achievements. Most guys would brag about it but I like that about you, Harry. You're just so humble."

Harry couldn't think of a single thing to say. Unfortunately Romilda was not finished.

"I've heard you've been invited to Slughorn's Christmas Party," she told him. Just a couple of days ago Harry, along with several other chosen students, had received a formal invitation by Pidgey mail, so naturally this had been the talk of the student body ever since.

"Yes?" Harry said warily. He had a bad feeling he knew where this was going. Romilda smiled.

"It is an awfully big honour to be invited, isn't it," she said casually. "Not that it's surprising, who wouldn't want to invite you, Harry."

"Snape, probably," Harry said with a shrug. Romilda laughed.

"I've heard you can bring partners, have you thought of taking someone, Harry?" She asked, fluttering her eyelashes. "If you are having trouble deciding you could always ask me."

"You'd like to go with me, would you?" Harry asked with a wry look. Romilda beamed.

"Oh yes, it would be an honour," she said enthusiastically. "Of course there are likely to be many important people there so I promise I'll be on my best behaviour. I've got this beautiful dress I bought over the summer, very respectable. I think we'd make a dashing pair."

"Sure," Harry said doubtfully. "That sounds nice and all but I actually think I'm just going to go with friends. Besides, you won't want to go, it'll probably be very boring."

"Oh, nonsense," Romilda brushed aside his warning. "As long as I'm with you I'm sure I'll enjoy myself immensely, and so will you."

"Still, I think I'm going to go with friends," Harry said with mock regret. "Thank you for offering but I don't think I really want a date."

There was an unreadable expression on Romilda's face, she almost looked annoyed, but then her smile reappeared.

"Oh well, if you're sure," she said. "Just remember, my offer is on the table if you change your mind. All you have to do is ask." Romilda turned on the spot and strode confidently out of the library.

Watching her go Harry let his head fall onto the table with a loud thud.

The sound of sniggering caught his attention and he looked up, scowling. "What's so funny?"

Daphne Greengrass smirked back at him.

"You really don't need me to answer that for you, do you?" She asked, looking highly amused. "Who would've though that something like this would happen to the vanquisher of Dark Lords, protector of innocents, Harry Potter."

Harry groaned. He let his head hit the table once more.

"You know she's not going to give up just because you said no," Daphne said pointedly. "I know of Vane by reputation, to my lasting regret, and when she wants something she stops at nothing to get it. She would have made a good Slytherin."

Harry scowled. "It almost sounds like you approve," he challenged. Daphne rolled her eyes.

"I'm just saying she's unlikely to give up and leave you alone until you actually ask someone to the party," Daphne told him. "Maybe not even then."

"Why don't you go with me?" Harry suggested. Daphne favoured him with a dull look.

"You and I both know why I won't," she said shortly. Harry grumbled reluctantly in agreement. "Besides, I'm not the one you want to ask. Ask Weasley?"

Harry blinked in surprise.

"Wait, what?" He blinked owlishly. "Ask Ginny? But why…"

Daphne rolled her eyes.

"I was actually referring to Ronald, your best friend and someone I'd point out was not invited to the party, unlike myself, Granger, and, indeed, Ginny," she told him pointedly. "But now that we're on the subject why not. The two of you went to the Yule Ball together and while you may seem oblivious to what's going on there's clearly something between you two."

"There is? What, I don't…" Harry started but Daphne just fixed him with a deadpan stare. "Look, it's complicated, I don't want to get into it."

"You were looking for a date," Daphne pointed out. "And if you actually like Weasley then that would be a pretty clear way of showing her, rather than dancing around the subject like you useless Gryffindors always do." Harry scowled.

"I hardly think you're in a position to judge," he challenged with a frown. "Have you even spoken to Seamus since the start of the year? And you're judging me?" Daphne averted her eyes, biting her lip, giving Harry pause. "Wait, have you spoken to Seamus?"

Daphne let out a small, uncomfortable noise. "From time to time," she said stiffly. Harry frowned.

"When?" He asked. "I share a dorm with him, and all his classes, surely I would have known…" but he trailed off and his eyes widened. "No."

"Finally got there," Daphne bit out. Harry ignored her.

"Pokémon Care," he whispered in stunned realisation. "That's why he's been missing classes so much. You have a free period then. He's been meeting you. You've been meeting up all year."

"Yes," Daphne snapped. "And keep that little piece of information to yourself. If you tell anyone…"

"I won't," Harry promised quickly. "I promise, I won't tell anyone."

"Not even Weasley and Granger?"

"Not even them," Harry promised. "Trust me, I'll stay quiet. But Daphne, this is huge. Are the two of you actually trying to make this work?" Daphne looked uncomfortable. Turning her head away she nodded sharply.

Harry was amazed. "How do you feel?"

Daphne didn't say anything immediately, her head still turned away from him. She stared stubbornly at the nearby bookcase and swallowed thickly.

"It's been good," she admitted, the words seeming to be forced out with some difficulty. "It's been fun, I… I've enjoyed being with him." Harry smiled gently.

"That's great," he told her, and he meant it. "I'm happy for you." Daphne let out a small, very reluctant, smile.

"I suppose I probably have you to thank for this, somehow," she said. "Don't know what you've been saying to Seamus but if it's anything like what you've said to me…"

"This is your doing," Harry assured her. "This is all about you and Seamus, as it should be." Daphne smiled.

"Either way," she said seriously. "Thank you."

"Daphne! What are you doing?!"

The voice rang out in a loud whisper and immediately Daphne's expression closed up. "Astoria."

Astoria Greengrass, a girl Harry could only just recognise by appearance, had turned the corner of the bookcase and now stared down in shock at who her sister had been talking to.

"What are you doing talking to him?" Astoria hissed at her sister, casting Harry a vicious look but otherwise pretending he wasn't there. "Don't you realise what you're doing?" Daphne's jaw tightened.

"I realise what I'm doing far more than you do, 'Stori," she said sharply. "It is my decision who I choose to speak with, not yours."

"Don't be stupid," Astoria scolded. "This isn't about you. If word got out you were speaking with him…" Harry's stomach turned cold.

"Well, word isn't going to get out, is it, 'Stori," Daphne hissed. It seemed this was only the beginning, Astoria well prepared to argue back, but Harry brought the fight to a halt before it could get going.

"She's right," he said. Both sisters turned to him, each wondering just whose side he was taking. "You should be more careful talking to me. If the wrong people found out it would cost far more than you're willing to lose." His eyes met Daphne's and he knew she understood.

"Anyway, I guess classes are done," he said, glancing over at Astoria and standing up. "I'm going down to lunch. Thank you for the conversation, Daphne." He met her eyes once more before nodding to the pair of them and sweeping out of the library.

The corridors outside were reasonably quiet. Harry found himself swept up in the last of the stragglers making their way down to the Great Hall for lunch. He wondered if he might catch Hermione on the way up from the dungeons - Hermione often liked to hang back and ask questions - but there was no sign of her as Harry reached the Entrance Hall and so he quickly walked on.

As Harry entered the Great Hall he quickly spotted his two best friends down the table and made his way towards them, dodging an anxious looking Colin Creevey as he did so.

"Hey," he greeted as he got within earshot, dropping his bag down onto the bench. He stopped short immediately as he caught a glimpse of the expression on Hermione's face. Something was clearly very wrong.

"What…?" But Hermione shook her head silently, her eyes pleading for him to remain quiet, and she turned anxiously back to where Ron sat opposite her.

Ron had a letter open in front of him, which was surprising enough to begin with as most mail was delivered in the morning with breakfast. His expression was unreadable as he bent over it, his form blocking Harry's view of what the letter contained. Judging from Hermione's reaction and Ron's unusual stillness it was nothing good.

"Ron?" Harry said tentatively, settling down in the seat across from him. "Ron, are you okay?"

Ron sucked in a breath, his body shifting slightly, but he didn't look up. Harry and Hermione shared worried looks.

"Ron?" Hermione tried gently, reaching across and placing a hand on his forearm. Ron flinched at the contact. "Ron, what's wrong? You can tell us. Whatever it is Harry and I are here for you."

Ron sucked in another breath and alarmingly raised a hand to wipe at his eyes.

"It's dad," he muttered thickly, still unable to look up. "He's back in hospital."

Harry's insides went cold. Beside him Hermione was looking equally as alarmed but she kept her cool, reaching out her other hand to grab hold of Ron's.

"What is it?" She asked gently. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Ron told her. He sounded helpless. "Mum said something went wrong, something to do with the attack last year."

"A relapse," Harry suggested stiffly. Ron nodded. "How is he now? He's not…" Harry couldn't bring himself to say the word. Mr Weasley just couldn't be dead.

"He's alive," said Ron hoarsely. "He's in St Mungo's right now. Bill was home so he was able to drive him."

"Then it'll be alright," Hermione told him soothingly. "The Healers at St Mungo's were able to get him back on his feet in just days last time, I'm sure they'll be able to help him now."

"You think?" Ron asked, looking up. His face was desperate.

Hermione squeezed his hand. "I know," she said confidently. "He'll be alright."

"Your dad's a fighter," Harry added, Ron's eyes turning to him. "He's not going to be leaving you guys in a hurry. He'll pull through."

Ron looked relieved. He was still pale, his eyes slightly red, but it seemed as though he trusted their word. The subtle shaking of his limbs had subsided, he took a deep breath, and he clasped Hermione's hand gratefully.

"Thanks, guys," he said softly. "Sorry for… for wigging out on you. I shouldn't have overreacted like that."

"You didn't," Hermione told him firmly. "Nothing you've done in the last few minutes has been an overreaction."

Ron gave her a wry smile. "Thank you, though," he said. "You guys are the best friends anyone could ask for."

"Right back at you," Harry said, thinking back to their conversation up in the library. Ron seemed to realise this, and smiled. Then a frown crossed his face.

"Do you think Ginny's heard?" He asked, worried. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell her or pass on the letter or what. Mum didn't say."

"She knows," Hermione told him. Harry glanced at her. "She got a letter too. She's sitting down there." Harry followed Hermione's gaze back towards the main doors to the Great Hall to where Ginny was sitting, Colin Creevey perched anxiously at her side. Like her brother she was hunched over, presumably reading the letter, though Harry couldn't see it, and her long red hair hung down to the table, obscuring her face.

"This is going to be terrible for her," Ron groaned, looking down the table with troubled eyes. "She was always closest to dad. Only girl, you know." He looked wholly dispirited, watching his sister from afar.

Harry hesitated.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" He asked uncertainly. Ron turned to him.

"Would you?" He asked, looking relieved. "That would be incredible. I want to talk to her myself but you know I'm not good at stuff like this. You would really do that?"

"Of course," Harry told him without hesitation. He didn't even need to think about it. "She's my friend too. I want to help."

"Thank you, Harry," Ron said gratefully and, nodding, Harry stood up, beginning his journey towards where Ginny sat.

His progress was impeded, however, as Ernie McMillan stood up from the Hufflepuff table in front of him, causing him to come to a halt, before Ernie, with his back turned to him, spoke to Ginny.

"Ginny, may I have a word?" Ginny blinked up at him. It was clear from how long she took to respond that her mind was a long way away from the present.

"Yes," she said eventually, looking up at him from where she sat. Awkwardly Harry hovered behind Ernie, wondering what he should do. A quick glance back up the table showed him that neither Ron nor Hermione were looking his way. Should he interrupt? Should he hang back?

Meanwhile Ernie was straightening himself up.

"Ginny, I'm aware you've been invited to Professor Slughorn's Christmas Party," he said. Ginny nodded. "Well, I have been invited also. I was wondering if I might not be too forward as to ask you to accompany me."

Harry blinked in surprise. He had not seen that coming.

"Oh," Ginny responded. She seemed equally as taken aback. "I, uh, I wasn't expecting this. I don't know what to think." She looked lost, her eyes wide as she stared up at an expectant Ernie, and it seemed as though she was barely able to process what was happening.

Harry decided to step in.

"Hey," he said, slightly louder than necessary and immediately all eyes turned to him. Ernie looked surprised, clearly having not expected his interruption, but there was no way Harry could miss the relief that showed on Ginny's face as she saw him standing there.

"Hey, Ernie, do you mind if I borrow Ginny for a moment?" Harry asked the Hufflepuff, placing a hand genially on his shoulder.

"Um, actually, I…" Ernie spluttered.

"Urgent Quidditch matter," Harry lied. "You understand, right?" Ernie blinked owlishly at him.

"Yes. Yes, of course," he said eventually, looking disappointed but not daring to argue. Harry smiled at him.

"Thank you, Ernie," he said before turning to Ginny. "Why don't we get out to the Entrance Hall. Wouldn't want to be overheard."

Harry guided Ginny down between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, leaving behind a stunned looking Ernie and an anxious Colin as the two of them stepped out into the Entrance Hall and away from the doors. Only once they were out of view of the Great Hall did Harry speak.

"You alright?" He asked, turning to face her. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she nodded, though she didn't meet his eyes. Then she glanced up. "You've heard, haven't you."

"Ron got the letter," he told her. Ginny didn't look surprised. "He told me you and your dad were close and he was worried about you."

"So he sent you," Ginny finished, a wry amusement in her tone. "Classic Ron. Never knows how to talk to people. Especially stuff like this."

"Well, to be fair at least he recognises it," Harry reasoned. "And he didn't send me, I offered. Not that he wasn't pleased. He seems to think I'm good at this."

"Given our recent experience I wouldn't say he's wrong," Ginny pointed out.

Harry thought back to their conversation on the eve of the first Quidditch match. If only Ginny knew just how much that conversation had stuck with him, had changed everything since that night. She might not be so keen to give him credit.

But that was another issue for another time.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked. "I've found talking helps."

"I don't know," Ginny murmured in response. "I don't even know what I'm thinking let alone knowing if I want to talk about it. And then all that stuff happened with Ernie and now…" she shook her head. "I just don't know."

"There's no rush," Harry promised. "It sounds like you need some time and that's completely fine. I just want to help you, like you did for me."

Ginny frowned. "I don't remember…"

"After Sirius died," Harry told her. Even now it was difficult to remember. "When you spoke to me in my dormitory." A light blush coloured Ginny's cheeks. "I know you might not remember, given what happened, but you were there for me after Sirius died. And I'm here for you now."

Ginny was silent for a long time, her head ever so slightly bowed as she gazed into thin air, collecting her thoughts. She took a breath.

"I guess I'm worried," she said eventually, glancing up at him. "I'm worried about dad."

"He'll be alright," Harry assured her. "The Healers at St Mungo's will look after him and he'll be back on his feet in no time."

"And what happens then?" Ginny pressed. She gazed at him earnestly. "He's not been the same since the attack. What if he's even worse when he gets back? And what if this just keeps happening and the Healers can't cure him? What if he ends up spending the rest of his life in St Mungo's? What if he doesn't make it?"

A single glistening tear threatened to run down her face and Harry was struck by the vulnerability she was showing him. There was no hiding anything, she was baring it all, her heart and soul out there for him to see. She was leaving herself so incredibly open to him and Harry found it impossible for him to lie to her. She deserved better.

"Ginny," he sighed. "Ginny, I'm not going to tell you those things aren't possible," he said. "I'm no healer so all I know is Mr Weasley. And I know he loves you, all of you, so very much, and that he'll fight to stay with you and to cherish every moment he has with you."

"And what if he dies?" Ginny asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. Harry took in a shuddering breath.

"Then he dies," he said hollowly. "I know it's not easy but… eventually we all will. And life goes on."

"Really?" Ginny questioned.

"Really," Harry told her. "I doubted it myself after what happened to Sirius but since then I've learned it's the truth. If the unthinkable happens, if Mr Weasley dies, then it's a loss to all of us. I'll be heartbroken and you'll be worse. And you'll start to think that nothing really matters anymore."

"But it does," Harry told her. "And after a while… a long while, definitely, but at some point… you'll come to see again the things that truly matter. You'll see that there are still so many people left to care for, that care for you. And if you have friends anywhere near as good as mine are then you'll be just fine."

Ginny let out a sniff, wiping the tears from her eyes, but there was a small smile on her face.

"Ron's right, you really are good at this," she chuckled watery. Harry ran a hand awkwardly through his hair.

"I just tell the truth," he denied. Ginny just shook her head in amusement.

"I suppose I really should be getting back in there," she said, turning a wary eye to the doors of the Great Hall. "Don't know what I'll say to Ernie."

"You don't want to go to the party with him then?" Harry asked.

"I don't even want to think about the party right now," Ginny told him. "But I really don't want people talking about dad, either. But I need some excuse."

An idea popped up in Harry's head.

"Why don't you tell him you're going to the party with me?" Harry suggested. He didn't know what had prompted this thought but the more he thought about it the better the idea seemed. "We went to the Yule Ball together so I doubt he would question it."

Ginny looked uncertain.

"Are you sure?" She asked him. "You wouldn't want to ask someone for real?"

"I really don't," Harry assured her. "Actually this works out perfectly for me. Romilda Vane cornered me in the library last period. I worry that if I don't ask someone else she's going to stalk me from now until Christmas."

Ginny smiled. "Well, we wouldn't want that to happen," she said with mock seriousness.

"No, we do not," Harry staunchly agreed. Anything to avoid Romilda Vane was fine by him.

Ginny tilted her head to the side, considering him. "I suppose if I'm helping you out…" she pondered. "Alright, I'll go with you."

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. "And, you know, if you change your mind and actually want to bring someone all you have to do is tell me. I was planning on hanging around with Ron and Hermione anyway."

"Ron's coming?" Ginny asked interestedly. "He was invited?"

"As Hermione's date," Harry responded. They shared a grin.

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing I'm going with you, then," Ginny told him with a cheeky smile. "Wouldn't want you stuck being the third wheel all night."

"We can only hope," Harry grinned. Ginny laughed.

"But you're right," Harry continued. "We should be getting back. Colin's probably pulling his hair out by now."

"Probably," Ginny agreed. She turned to leave, then paused. "Thank you, Harry. For everything." Harry smiled.

"No problem," he told her. Ginny turned to leave, reaching the doors to the Great Hall.

"And Ginny." Ginny stopped, turning back to face him. "If you ever need to talk," Harry told her. "About anything, you know where I am."

A smile passed over Ginny's face, a beautiful expression that caused her entire presence to light up, before she turned and entered the Great Hall, leaving Harry standing alone with a small smile of his own and a warm glow in his chest.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed then please leave a Review and if you want to see updates for this and all my other stories please follow me on Twitter.


	17. Slughorn's Party

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Slughorn's party was not to be held in Slughorn's office, or Slughorn's classroom, neither of which were large enough to accommodate all of Slughorn's expected guests. Instead Slughorn was able to acquire the use of the Battle Chamber for the evening, although what Professor Snape thought of this, holding the office in the adjacent room, was unknown.

"Bloody hell, look at this place."

The Battle Chamber was almost unrecognisable. The usually empty room was filled with tables and chairs, the centre occupied by the largest table of the lot, covered with food of all sorts. Tinsel hung over the four large Christmas trees in each corner of the room, garlands of holly and mistletoe hung up all around, and enjoying the festivities were a throng of fancily dressed guests.

"My, I didn't realise there would be quite this many people," said Hermione, looking anxious. From where they were standing they could barely make out most of the room for the crowd milling around in front of them. Harry had planned to find Neville and Hannah Abbott, perhaps even Daphne if he could get away with it, but there was simply no way he was going to be able to pick out any of them from the crowd.

"Maybe we should-"

"Harry, my boy!" Whatever Harry's suggestion was going to be he was cut short as Slughorn spotted them. The crowd seemed to part before him as he approached their small group and he grasped hold of Harry's hand with a delighted expression on his face. "So glad you could make it."

"Of course, Professor," Harry said politely. "I'm happy to be here."

"Wonderful," Slughorn beamed. "And Ms Weasley, Ms Granger, delighted to have you. I see you've brought along a guest, Ms Granger."

"Yes, sir." Hermione blushed.

"And what about you, Harry?" Slughorn asked. "Not bringing a lady friend?"

"I'm here with Ginny," Harry told him. Slughorn's eyebrows raised. "As friends," Harry said hastily. "Neither of us wanted to bring anyone so to stop people from asking…"

"Of course," Slughorn said in understanding. "Good friends must always have each other's backs. I think you are just about the last of the students to arrive, Mr Belby came down with a nasty stomach bug, I'm afraid. All we're waiting on is Ms Greengrass. Ah, there she is."

Harry turned to see where Slughorn was facing, off towards one of the other doors along the side of the Battle Chamber, and spotted Daphne approaching, dressed in a magnificent silver dress, accompanied by the very last person Harry had expected to see.

Even Slughorn seemed surprised. "Ah, Mr Malfoy. How unexpected."

Draco Malfoy did not look happy to be there. His expression was sullen, his countenance bored, and yet despite that he still looked right at home in amongst the glitz and the glamour.

"Eh, Ms Greengrass," Slughorn said uncertainly. "I take it Mr Malfoy is with you?"

"Yes," Daphne said shortly. She did not elaborate. "Potter, I need to speak with you."

Harry blinked. Every eye was turned towards him.

"Okay," he said eventually, recovering. "Where…?"

"Come with me," Daphne instructed and she walked off, leaving Harry to follow in her wake, Malfoy left alone with Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Slughorn.

They walked a short distance to a quiet corner of the room, though quiet was a relative term, before Daphne came to an abrupt halt, turning to face him.

"What's going on?" Harry asked immediately. "What's Malfoy doing here?" Malfoy wasn't a member of the Slug Club, owing mostly to the fact his father was now a well known Death Eater. It was for similar reasons why Daphne usually did not associate with him.

"Obviously that's what I brought you here to discuss," she drawled, giving him a condescending look. "Clearly I did not bring Draco along due to his merits as a date. I am not that desperate."

"So why?" Harry wondered.

"Because he asked me to," Daphne said simply. Harry's eyebrows raised.

"He asked you to?" He repeated. "Why? And why say yes?"

"As it happens Draco did not share with me his reasons, funnily enough," Daphne commented dryly. "On the other hand I can tell you that all he required from me for my end of the deal was to give him a reason to be at this party tonight. He does not wish to date me any more than I wish to date him. In return he has agreed to tutor Astoria in Potions."

Harry blinked. "He did?" He asked in surprise. Daphne nodded. "And all he wanted was for you to say he was at this party as your guest? He didn't ask for anything else?"

"His words, to the letter, were 'As long as you get me through the door you don't even need to see me'. He was quite clear about what he needed from me."

"And he agreed to tutor your sister just for that?" Harry questioned. It seemed hard to believe. "That doesn't seem like a fair trade at all. Does Malfoy really want to be here that badly?"

"I don't know," Daphne told him. "That is why I'm telling you of the situation. It may just be Malfoy craving attention but I doubt it. He's been quiet this year, you must have noticed, and while he may be planning something benign I wouldn't bet on it. I'm not sure that's a risk worth taking."

"No," Harry agreed. "No, it's not."

They stood in silence.

"Well, I should go," Daphne told him. "The longer we're seen talking the more suspicious people will get."

"Agreed," said Harry. He glanced over her dress. "You look nice, by the way."

"Please, Potter, I have a date," Daphne responded dryly. Harry blushed.

"No, I didn't mean…" he stammered. Daphne rolled her eyes.

"See you around, Potter."

She walked away.

Harry stood there for a moment longer, recovering from his embarrassment, before he began to think about what Daphne had told him. Her deal was intriguing, and Harry was certain the reasons for Malfoy to seek out such a deal could not be innocent. Just what was Malfoy up to?

Unbidden, the memory of their meeting in Diagon Alley rose to the surface. Harry had been sure Malfoy had recently taken the Dark Mark, had been certain by the way he had flinched from his mother's touch. Were these two situations linked?

No closer to discovering the answer to this question Harry made his way back to his friends. Malfoy was gone, and seemed to have been gone for some time, judging by the lack of tension shown by Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Slughorn, however, remained.

"Harry, there you are," he greeted enthusiastically as Harry approached, drawing the attention of Ron, Hermione and Ginny too. "You were away for some time. Anything important?"

"Schoolwork," Harry lied. "Just discussing the Pokémon Physiology homework McGonagall set us for the holidays."

Slughorn looked aghast. "Schoolwork? On a night like this?" He gasped. "Oh no, Harry, now is not the time for stuff like that. I'll have to have a word with Ms Greengrass too. Tonight is a night for entertainment. Hang on right there for a second, there's someone I want you to meet." And Slughorn disappeared into the crowd.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny turned to Harry immediately.

"What the hell was that about?" Ron asked. "What's Malfoy doing here?"

"Did Greengrass tell you why she brought him?" Asked Ginny. Harry nodded.

"They made a deal," Harry told them. "Daphne was to take Malfoy here as her date and in return Malfoy would tutor Daphne's sister Astoria in Potions."

"Malfoy is very good at Potions," Hermione said. "I'd say he is one of the best in the year, certainly among the Slytherins."

"I understand why _she_ made the deal," said Harry. "But why did he?"

"Maybe he just really wanted to come to the party," Ron suggested. "The Malfoys have always been involved with things like this. I can't imagine they get many invites now that dear old Lucius is in Azkaban."

"Maybe," Harry admitted, chewing his lip. "But in exchange for tutoring Astoria? That's a lot to give up."

"You think he's up to something?" Ginny wondered. "Maybe he's meeting someone."

"Oh my god," Ron gasped. But he wasn't looking at Harry. Instead his eyes were fixed into the crowd and Harry turned to see just what he was looking at.

Horace Slughorn was making his way back towards them, but he was not alone. A tall, dark skinned woman with broad shoulders and an air of confidence about her walked by Slughorn's side, looking even taller in comparison. The duo approached their little group with obvious purpose.

Beside Harry Ginny's breath hitched.

"Harry," Slughorn greeted jovially as he reached them. "Please allow me to introduce to you a very good friend of mine, Ms Gwenog Jones, Captain of the Holyhead Harpies." Ron and Ginny's reactions suddenly made a whole lot more sense.

"Pleased to meet you," Harry said politely, shaking her hand. She had a very strong grip.

"Gwenog, I'm sure you'll have heard of Mr Potter," Slughorn said with a chuckle. "We also have here Ms Hermione Granger, my best student, as well as Ms Ginny Weasley and her brother, Rupert." The pain on Ron's face was only too clear to see but he refrained from correcting him.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, shall I," Slughorn said cheerfully. "I'll see you around, Harry."

"Bye, Professor," Harry replied as Slughorn slipped back in amongst the crowd.

Gwenog fixed him with a look. "So, Potter, Horace has told me a lot about you," she said, her voice strong and clear. "Seems to rate you highly. Said you'd never been beaten to the Snitch." Of course, she wanted to talk about Quidditch.

"I suppose not," Harry admitted. "Although really it's Talonflame that deserves the credit." Gwenog made a small noise of approval.

"Tell me, Potter, do you follow Professional Quidditch?" Gwenog asked. "Do you have a team to support?"

"Eh," Harry said awkwardly. "Well, Puddlemere United, I suppose. Oliver Wood was captain when I joined the Gryffindor team and he's at Puddlemere now, so…"

"Not the worst reason for making such a poor choice," Gwenog commented. Harry wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

"I suppose the only answer you'd think is acceptable would be the Holyhead Harpies," Hermione challenged, frowning. Gwenog nodded. She didn't seem remotely concerned with the rebuke.

"Ginny's a Harpies fan," Harry spoke up. Gwenog's attention quickly swivelled to the redhead.

"Really?" She said interestedly. Ginny nodded.

"I've supported the Harpies ever since I was a little girl," she told her. "I've been following the team for years."

Gwenog looked pleased.

"Good on you," she said. "Glad to see someone's got their head straight. Do you play Quidditch at all?"

"Yes," Ginny replied enthusiastically. "I'm a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"Really?" Gwenog sounded very interested indeed. "Have you been playing long?"

"I joined the team last year," Ginny told her. "My brothers had a lock on the position but they both got banned for attacking the Slytherin Seeker in last year's match."

"I like them already," Gwenog stated brusquely. "Never did like those Slytherins back when I was at Hogwarts."

"Yes, but they shouldn't have done it," Hermione interjected quickly. "I know they were riled up but violence is never the answer."

"Malfoy did have it coming," Ron pointed out.

"I'm sure he did," Gwenog boomed. "Are you one of the brothers, Rupert?"

Ron's ears went pink. "Eh, no. Those were our other brothers, Fred and George. I play Keeper instead."

"Hmm," Gwenog said thoughtfully. "And what team do you support?"

Ron straightened his back proudly. "The Chudley Cannons," he said with gusto. Gwenog's eyebrows raised.

"The Chudley Cannons," she repeated slowly. "The Chudley Cannons." Ron held his head up proud.

"Woah, woah, woah, do my ears deceive me?" An excitable looking man appeared from the crowd, a smile stretched across his jovial face. "Did I just hear mention of the Chudley Cannons?"

Gwenog let out a long suffering sigh. "Yes, Barnabus," she said tiredly. "I admit I made a grave error in repeating it, but yes." She turned to the others.

"Barnabus Lee is the owner of the Chudley Cannons," she told them. "I invited him along with the promise that he would keep quiet."

"A wholly unreasonable expectation that I would keep that promise, Gwenog," Barnabus said cheerfully. Gwenog rolled her eyes. "Now why don't you properly introduce me to these fine young students."

"Well, I'm sure you'll recognise one of them," Gwenog said dryly. "This is Harry Potter." Indeed Barnabus's eyebrows lifted at the mention of Harry's name. "And this is Hermione Granger, and Ginny and Rupert Weasley."

"Actually, it's Ron," Ron interjected hastily. "Slughorn never remembers my name."

Barnabus chuckled.

"A cross many of us must bare," he chortled. "Why, dear Horace once referred to me as Bilbo. Or perhaps he just meant to insult me."

"Not an unreasonable assumption," Gwenog opined. Barnabus grinned.

"So, Ron," he said, turning to the redhead. "Am I right in saying you are the Cannons fan?"

"Yes, sir," Ron said respectfully. "My dad took me to see my very first game back in eighty-eight versus the Falcons. I've been a fan ever since."

"Ah, yes, the Falcons in eighty-eight," Barnabus said with a look of happy reminiscence. "We nearly won that one."

"We should have," Ron said passionately. "It was never a foul by Wicker on that last goal and their Beaters should have been called for Snitch interference."

"Well, that's just the way the cookie crumbles," Barnabus said with a shrug. "All that really matters is that we tried out best and enjoyed ourselves."

"Although winning every once in a while wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," Gwenog commented dryly.

It seemed as though they were in luck. In a room full of boring and stuffy politicians and ministry workers they'd come across the only two interesting people in the room. And Barnabus at least appeared to be happy to speak with them for hours.

A glimpse of movement from the corner of the room caught Harry's attention and he looked around. His good humour faded.

Draco Malfoy was standing by the doorway. His eyes were flitting over the crowd in the room, his expression blank, before his gaze fell upon Harry. For a long moment they faced each other before Malfoy eventually averted his gaze. He slipped out of the room.

Harry hesitated.

What should he do? Malfoy was up to something and if he was to find out what he simply had to follow him. But what if he was just leaving to use the bathroom?

Either way he had to make a decision fast.

"I'll be right back," he said, his words only half acknowledged by the group. "Bathroom." And he hurried from the room.

The corridor outside was empty. Wherever Malfoy was heading he had a big head start on Harry and there were no clues as to which way he had gone. Taking a chance Harry avoided the corridor on the right, which from his knowledge of the castle he knew led to nothing much of anything, and hurried to his left instead.

For at least a minute Harry followed the corridor through the castle with quiet steps, seeing no sign of Malfoy anywhere, the only sound being his own slightly heavy breathing and the soft shuffle of his feet on the stone floor.

Eventually he came to a stop.

Maybe Malfoy had been going to the bathroom after all, one of the few places Harry could think of to the right of the Battle Chamber, though those toilets were out of order. Either way he'd lost him. Whatever Malfoy was up to it didn't look like he was going to find out here.

He turned around and begun the journey back to the party.

Suddenly a hand grabbed at Harry's suit. He was pulled off balance, helpless to his attacker's will as he was dragged unceremoniously through a doorway, his assailant throwing him into the room beyond with force before slamming the door behind him. Harry, staggering as he fought to regain his balance, turned to face the aggressor…

… and found Draco Malfoy standing before him.

Harry staggered up straight.

"Malfoy."

Malfoy considered him with a calculating look.

"Potter."

Harry glanced around the room. It was empty, but for a few dusty old desks and an unused blackboard. There was no surprise ambush, no Death Eaters or Slytherin lackeys ready to jump him. They were alone.

"You've been following me," Malfoy commented. His face remained impassive. "Just what interest do you have in my actions?"

"As much interest as I should," Harry retorted. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out you're up to something."

"Clearly."

Silence fell once more. Harry waited for Malfoy's next move, wondering why he had dragged him in here, but Malfoy said nothing. He shifted almost imperceptibly, showing, to Harry's greatest surprise, the tiniest hint of nerves.

The silence stretched on.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked. Malfoy snorted.

"You really think that's going to work," he sneered. "You think I'll just tell you everything because you asked nicely?"

"You're still here," Harry pointed out. "If you didn't have anything to say you would have left. You wouldn't have even brought me in here. So why don't you save us both the trouble and just tell me what you want to say. Otherwise, I'll be on my way."

Malfoy pursed his lips. "Very well," he said through gritted teeth. "I brought you here so we could talk." Harry narrowed his eyes.

"You brought…?"

"Of course I brought," Malfoy snapped disparagingly. "You really think it's a coincidence that you're standing here. I planned this out weeks ago. I bribed Greengrass into taking me to this party, which you would obviously be attending, and I knew all I needed to do was grab your attention. After that it was easy. I waited by the door for you to notice me, slipped out in a way that I knew you couldn't resist following, and then led you here, far away from the party, where I can speak to you. Alone."

Harry cast Malfoy a wary look.

"Is this another one of your olive branches?" he challenged. "You tried this last year, then you betrayed me. You did just enough so that I wouldn't immediately suspect you when you were asked to carry out the Dark Lord's bidding."

"I had no idea what the Dark Lord had planned for me when I warned you about the Inquisitorial Squad," Malfoy derided.

"Good, so that makes it all okay then," Harry said sarcastically. "There's a special place in hell reserved for people like you, Malfoy. What makes you think I give a damn about what you've got to say?"

"I need your help."

There was a ringing silence at those words. You could hear a pin drop.

"What?" Harry spat.

"Don't make me say it again, Potter," Malfoy groaned. Harry shifted.

"No," he said simply, shaking his head. "No, you say it again." Malfoy scowled.

"Very well," he said through gritted teeth. "I came here… to ask you… for help." The words themselves seemed to pain him.

Harry stared in disbelief.

"Why would I help you, Malfoy?" He asked with genuine confusion. "Why do you think I would possibly say yes?"

"Because you're a bleeding heart Gryffindor who can't help himself," Malfoy replied coolly. Harry gave him a deadpan stare. Malfoy glanced away.

"I've been given a task," Malfoy said shortly.

"From Voldemort?" Harry interjected. Malfoy flinched.

"Yes," he bit back. "From him." He grimaced.

"The task is not… impossible," he muttered. "I've known for months now that there's a way. But… even though I know I can do it, even though it will be difficult, I don't think I can bring myself to complete the deed."

"Not so easy, this Death Eater stuff, is it," Harry said coolly. Malfoy bit back a response.

"No," he said instead, his face tight. "It is not. But with the Dark Lord failure is not an option. And as I continue to fail in my task it is my mother who is paying the price."

"Am I supposed to feel sympathy?" Harry asked. "You chose to throw your lot in with Voldemort."

"But my mother did not," Malfoy snapped angrily. "Father chose this and I can understand your disdain for him but my mother did nothing more than stand by her husband, and stand by me."

"Yet she supported Lucius in his service to Voldemort," Harry said pointedly. "She harboured a criminal. In the eyes of the law she is guilty."

"She does not deserve this," Malfoy shouted back. "She does not deserve the life she lives, to be treated like a slave inside her own house, by people of the lowest order, scum, that are not worthy to breath the air she breathes but dare to look down upon her." Malfoy swallowed hard. "And if I fail it is her neck on the line."

Harry looked at Malfoy with a new sense of understanding. Never had he seen the boy look like this, so open, uncontrolled and unguarded. The worry was displayed clear on his face for the whole world to see, the mask he held up every day dropped for the first time. Dropped so that Harry could see what lay beneath.

"What do you expect me to do?" Harry asked. "I can't protect your mother. Not where she is now."

Malfoy looked so pitiful and it struck Harry how much it must have taken Malfoy to approach him, his worst enemy, who had no reason to show him mercy. Just how long had this been weighing on him? Just how close was he to breaking?

Malfoy glanced at him, his face showing a sudden unwillingness to speak as he allowed himself to calm once more. Yet the words came out anyway.

"I know you can't do anything, Potter," he spat. "But Dumbledore can. I would be a fool not to respect Dumbledore's power, even the Dark Lord does. He can keep my mother safe."

"Then why are you talking to me?" Harry asked.

"Because I can't very well go up to Dumbledore myself, can I," Malfoy snarled. "If anyone saw me within ten feet of Dumbledore's office… not to mention he's barely around anymore. But you have his ear."

"I wouldn't go that far," Harry doubted. Malfoy gave a very un-Malfoy-like snort.

"Don't be a fool, Potter," he said. "It is as clear as the night is dark. Dumbledore listens to you. He takes time out of his day to talk to you, now, in the middle of a war. No student to pass through this castle has ever had such a close relationship." Malfoy sighed. "Which is why I need your help."

An hour ago Harry would never have anticipated what had just occurred. He would never have dreamed he'd ever feel sorry for Malfoy. Yet the trials he was facing were exactly the same as those that had prompted Daphne to choose his side. The desire to protect his family over the risk of incurring the wrath of Lord Voldemort was what had driven Malfoy to seeking his help, and it wasn't that much different than Harry's own motivations. To protect his family; the Weasleys, Hermione, Remus, Tonks…

Yet Harry couldn't let go of that sliver of doubt. His mind went back to just after their final APE examination when Malfoy had promised to help them. He'd been burned once by trusting him. Harry couldn't pay that price again.

"Alright," he said eventually. "I'll take it to Dumbledore." Malfoy perked up in surprise. "But I need something from you." Malfoy's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"I need proof," Harry told him. "Proof that this isn't some sort of plot. If I'm to help you then I need to know that your days of working for Voldemort are over. There's no halfway here, Malfoy. You're either with us, or with them. If you want our help in keeping your mother safe then you have to choose to come to our side, with all that that entails. Otherwise… otherwise I like to know that my enemies are my enemies for sure. If you turn back then you're a Death Eater, and I will keep my promise to make you pay for what you did to my godfather. The choice is yours, Draco. Choose wisely."

Malfoy's face was pale. Perhaps he had not fully considered what asking for their help would really mean, that he was going to be setting himself against Voldemort. Perhaps he'd not considered it at all.

Well, he was considering it now. Harry could practically see the cogs turning in his head, see the emotion flashing through his eyes even as he fought to keep his expression blank. And Harry waited.

Slowly, Malfoy reached down to his left forearm and pulled back the sleeve. Harry's eyes fixed upon him.

The Dark Mark lay before him, clear in the light of the winter moon shining through the windows. The black ink seemed to suck in the light, draw all attention towards it, and Harry felt his breath catch in his throat.

"I've been marked," Malfoy said, disgust written across his face as he looked down at the brand.

Harry approached slowly, reaching out to carefully lay a finger on the mark. It felt cold to the touch. Or was that just Harry's imagination?

"I'm a marked Death Eater," Malfoy said, his voice shaky but his words firm. "You tell the aurors and under the new ministry guidelines I'm arrested. I'll be in Azkaban before dawn." He looked up to meet Harry's gaze. "My fate… is in your hands."

Harry looked back at Malfoy, staring into those grey eyes that had for so long held nothing but mockery and spite, and he finally accepted his word. Malfoy was being truthful this time. There was no deceit.

Harry stepped back, releasing his grip on Malfoy's arm and allowing his sleeve to obscure the mark once more.

"Okay," Harry said quietly. "I'll help you." Malfoy gave a jerky nod.

"I'll be returning to my dormitory," he said stiffly. "I've done what I came here to do."

And with that Malfoy exited the room, leaving Harry alone in the dusty, disused classroom, with a lot to think about.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

To vxgt: Thanks for the review. I only have some vague plans for after the series is done but one of the things I know is that there won't be any long stories within this universe. If I do anything like what you are suggesting it will likely only be a one-shot or a couple of chapters, nothing like the length of the rest of the series, and I'll have to see what sort of ideas I have closer to the time.

Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. If you enjoyed this one then please leave a Review, follow me on Twitter for story updates, and I'll see you next time.


	18. Mr Weasley's Worry

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

It was some time before Harry rejoined the party. It was only after a visit to Dumbledore's office that he even thought to return.

Unfortunately the Headmaster was not there.

And so it was without passing on Malfoy's message that Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express the next morning to travel down south for the Christmas holidays.

Mr and Mrs Weasley were hosting them at the Burrow this year, Mrs Weasley rather insistent on this and her children only too keen to see their father once again. He was back home since his relapse and had so far not suffered from any further setbacks, though that did not mean all was well.

"The healers have been in touch regularly since Arthur returned home," Mrs Weasley told Harry a few days into the holiday, her attention split between him and the stove over which she slaved. "They want to make sure he's not overdoing it."

Mr Weasley had remained mostly bed bound since his return from St Mungo's, something he resented greatly as he felt more than capable of walking around the house. But, rules were rules, and on this occasion Mrs Weasley put her foot down and Mr Weasley, rather wisely, did as he was told.

The healers' orders weren't making things any easier for Mrs Weasley either. While used to running the household at the Burrow, having raised seven children and kept them fed and entertained over the years, Mrs Weasley now found herself stretched thin without the aid of her husband.

This was especially true when it came to money. Mrs Weasley did not work, making Arthur's salary all they had to live off, and while St Mungo's care was free of charge the sick pay the Ministry was willing to offer fell far short of Mr Weasley's usual salary.

To solve this problem Bill had taken it upon himself to move into the Burrow permanently for the time being, his beautiful fiancé Fleur by his side. Mrs Weasley was very conflicted on this. She was of course delighted to have her son back home, and even was willing to forego her custom of keeping the couple in separate bedrooms until marriage in gratitude, but she did not want to be a burden upon them.

However she eventually bowed to the inevitable and Bill's financial assistance, as well as the presence of him and Fleur around the house, made things a lot easier.

And also brought about a dramatic shift in Mrs Weasley's attitude to the French girl.

"I may have had my doubts," she had said to Harry on their first night back. "I admit I thought she was all looks and no brains, but I judged too quickly. Fleur is a truly wonderful woman. Using her Gardevoir to allow Bill to work in London and continue to stay here… and the way she looks out for Arthur. Honestly, I cannot say how delighted I am that Bill was able to find a girl like her."

"Busy, Harry?"

Harry blinked. Mrs Weasley's query dragged him back to the present.

"Yeah," he said quickly. "Yeah, I was just working on the Physiology homework upstairs."

"And what about Ron?" Mrs Weasley asked, a knowing look on her face.

"Sleeping, I think," Harry admitted. He was staying in the twins' room again over the holidays and so he hadn't actually seen Ron since the redhead had groggily descended for breakfast that morning. Usually that meant he'd fallen back to sleep.

"Honestly, that boy," Mrs Weasley sighed. "It's a wonder he makes it to any of his classes. If it wasn't for you, Harry, and Hermione of course, I shudder to think of where his grades would plummet to."

"I think Hermione is the one who really deserves all the credit," Harry told her. "Without her I'd probably forget to turn up to class too." Hermione had opted to spend the Christmas holidays with her parents this year but, true to form, she had given them both a sharp warning to remind them to do their homework before the start of next term.

"Hm," Mrs Weasley hummed, glancing sideway at Harry as she took the food off the stove and started to pile it up on a plate. A glass of water lay nearby, as well as a knife and fork, all sat upon a tray.

"Well, either way, I'm glad Ron has got friends like you two," she said. "I worried about him, when we sent him off for first year, he never really settled in when he was younger. But with you and Hermione I know not to worry. You're always looking out for him. He told me how supportive you've been for him and Ginny these past few weeks."

"It was nothing," Harry said hurriedly. "They'd have done it for us."

"Either way, I'm grateful," said Mrs Weasley, hoisting the pot back onto the stove. She sighed. "It's not been the easiest of times."

"Why don't I take that?" Harry suggested, gesturing to the tray. "Save you from walking up the stairs."

Mrs Weasley smiled. "Thank you, Harry," she said gratefully. "You're such a good boy."

The tray was of course meant for Mr Weasley, unable to come downstairs to join the rest of the family for meals, and so Harry carefully carried the laden tray up the rickety wooden staircase to the fourth floor and knocked on Mr and Mrs Weasley's bedroom door. He stepped inside.

"Woah!" Harry flinched back as something buzzed within inches of his face. The cutlery on the tray rattled and some water slopped out of the glass as Harry fought to keep it steady.

"Easy there, Magnemite, let the boy enter." The Pokémon, Magnemite, that had so nearly sent Harry sprawling retreated back into the room towards the bed bound Mr Weasley.

"Sorry about that, Harry," Mr Weasley said jovially. "The lovely Fleur caught this little Magnemite out in the forest and thought to lend him to me for the company. How delightful is that."

"Yes, I heard," said Harry. Fleur's gift of Magnemite to help keep Mr Weasley from getting lonely was just one of the many reasons Mrs Weasley had warmed to her.

"I brought lunch," Harry told him, stepping into the room and finding to his surprise that Mr Weasley wasn't alone. Ginny sat on the side of Mr Weasley's bed, her Ninetales curled up at her feet, and on the other side, barely visible from where Harry was standing, lay Mr Weasley's Typhlosion.

"Ah, splendid, Harry," Mr Weasley said delightedly. "Tell me, is this your own creation?"

"Mrs Weasley made it," Harry assured him, smiling slightly at the thought of even attempting to match her work. "My cooking ability is limited to toast and cereal at breakfast, really." He passed the tray over to Mr Weasley.

"Well, that's more than I can manage," Mr Weasley chuckled. "Never can work the toaster properly. Toast always comes out burnt. Ah, yes, this is definitely Molly's work." He looked down on the food. "Much too much for one person to finish on their own. Please, help yourself."

"Don't mind if I do," said Ginny, immediately reaching over to nab one of the succulent looking sausages from Mr Weasley's plate.

"Harry?"

"Hm," Harry mumbled, tearing his eyes away from Ginny's enjoyment of her impromptu snack. "Yes?"

"Food?" Mr Weasley questioned, gesturing to his plate.

"Oh, no," said Harry quickly. "No thanks, sir." Mr Weasley smiled.

"If you're sure," he said. "But know I won't be able to finish this, and all that's left goes straight to Typhlosion. And he's been getting a bit on the heavy side."

A low rumble of complaint emanated from where Typhlosion lay. Harry smiled.

"I'm fine, sir," he said. "I'm not hungry."

"Well, if you're sure," Mr Weasley said reluctantly. "Perhaps you can join us. We were just discussing Slughorn's Christmas Party. I heard you met Gwenog Jones."

"Yes," said Harry. "I think we spent most of the night talking to her."

"Her and Barnabus Lee, at any rate," Mr Weasley acknowledged. "That's made both my youngest very happy. They even got autographs."

"I've put mine up on the wall in my room," said Ginny. "Right next to my Harpies posters."

"I think Ron might have hidden his away in a drawer," Harry added with a small grin. "I think he's worried something will happen to it."

Mr Weasley chuckled. "Sounds like Ron," he said. "We're all a bit Quidditch mad in this house, as I'm sure you're aware, but it takes a certain level of dedication to be a Cannons fan."

"That's one way of putting it," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes. "But I'm with Gwenog, it wouldn't hurt them to win once in a while."

"Maybe not," Mr Weasley chuckled. "But, speaking of Quidditch, I was wondering how your first year as captain was going, Harry. I hear you've already won your first match."

"Against Hufflepuff," Harry said quickly. "We were always expected to beat them. The difficult games will be against Ravenclaw and Slytherin."

Mr Weasley nodded sagely. "Quite, it is always a good idea not to get too carried away," he acknowledged. "I hear Ravenclaw are a very good team, they were in my day too, and I'm not soon going to forget the passion of the Gryffindor Slytherin matches, even though I never played myself."

"We'll be ready," Ginny said confidently. "Things are difficult without Katie but we can still take anyone at Hogwarts. Plus we've got Harry, no one else can say that."

"Malfoy and Cho are good Seekers," Harry countered with a cautious tone. "We shouldn't count them out."

"And yet if even half of what my youngest quartet of children say is true - and Percy for that matter too - then I have no doubt we'll be seeing another Gryffindor victory in the cup this year," Mr Weasley smiled.

"Count on it," said Ginny.

"Everyone!" Mrs Weasley's voice echoed throughout the house. "Lunch!"

"Sounds like that's your cue," Mr Weasley chuckled. "Wouldn't want to keep Molly waiting."

"See you later, dad," said Ginny, giving him a kiss on the cheek before standing from the bed. She smiled at Harry as she passed, her flowery perfume briefly filling his senses as she disappeared through the door and a moment later he, too, turned to leave.

"Harry, could you hold on for a moment?"

Harry paused in the doorway.

"Sure," he said, slightly confused as he waited patiently for Ninetales to slink past him and out the room.

"You should probably close the door," Mr Weasley suggested. "Wouldn't want to be disturbed."

"Alright," Harry said hesitantly, wondering what Mr Weasley could want. He shut the door, turning to face him. "Sir, is everything alright?"

"Hm," said Mr Weasley, blinking up at him. "Oh, yes, Harry, everything's fine. I just wanted to get the chance to speak with you about something. In private. Why don't you take a seat?" He gestured to the end of the bed.

Still confused, Harry wandered closer and perched himself gingerly on the corner of the mattress.

He waited for Mr Weasley to speak.

"Now," Mr Weasley began, and suddenly his voice was the one showing hesitance. "You'll have to excuse me for a bit, Harry, what I have to say may seem a little inappropriate. If Molly got wind of this she would surely tell me I was sticking my nose where it didn't belong. But, no matter, sometimes certain things just have to be done, or said, in my case."

Harry waited silently.

Mr Weasley favoured him with a steady look. "There's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to ask you straight, Harry," he said simply. "Do you have feelings for Ginny?"

Harry's face went red.

"What? I don't…" But Mr Weasley held up a hand to silence him.

"Please, I need you to tell me the truth," he told him. "I'm not accusing you, I promise, but I have raised six sons and I'd like to think I have a little expertise in the art of understanding teenage boys. Please, just be honest with me."

Harry hesitated. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation. Mr Weasley's words from before were suddenly making a lot more sense. And the worst part of it all? Harry didn't even know if he had an answer.

"I like Ginny, sir," he said awkwardly, trying to avoid eye contact with the man who continued to hold a steady gaze. "She's my friend and she's a lot of fun to hang around with. I just… don't know if I like her like that, if you know what I mean."

Mr Weasley nodded in understanding. "I do," he said. "It is not the easiest thing in the world to understand your own feelings, especially at your age. As I said, I have six sons. They've all been through this, in their own way."

Harry stayed quiet. He felt incredibly awkward. On the one hand he wanted to ask for advice, surely Mr Weasley could help him. But this was Ginny's father.

Mr Weasley appeared to be thinking. His gaze remained on Harry but his eyes seemed to cloud over as though he were no longer seeing him. His head tilted curiously to the side.

Harry swallowed.

At that moment Mr Weasley almost seemed to snap out of it. His focus sharpened. He suddenly appeared present.

He let out a small smile.

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Harry," he said calmly. "I can't decide your feelings for you. That's up to you."

Harry nodded in relief. At least Mr Weasley didn't appear to be angry.

"I suppose the only reason I really wished to get involved in this was more… precautionary," Mr Weasley said hesitantly. "Whether you wish to date my daughter or not… well, that's not up to me. The only thing I can ask of you - demand, really - is that you never, ever hurt her."

"I wouldn't do that," Harry said earnestly. "I would never hurt her. No matter what."

Mr Weasley smiled. "And nor would I expect you to," he said and at once the atmosphere seemed to lighten. The pressure on Harry's chest lifted.

"I apologise for my questioning," Mr Weasley said apologetically. "I'm afraid it's just a father's duty to make sure his children are cared for. I have never had any doubt that you did not care for Ginny, whether or not you do like her 'like that'. I just merely had to 'say my piece', as it were."

"I understand," said Harry. "And thank you for trusting me. I know it's not easy to talk about this…" Mr Weasley waved him away.

"All I care about is that my little girl is happy," he said. "And I know you make her happy, even if it simply is as a friend. Never discount the power of a relationship like that. Although if I may be so bold, there is a reason I suspected you of liking her. That, in itself, suggests to me that your feelings may not be so simple as that of a friend."

Maybe not, Harry thought. For nearly two months now Harry had been wondering the same thing.

Mr Weasley smiled. "Well, don't let me keep you," he said brightly. "Lunch awaits. And please, don't mention any of this to Molly."

"I won't," Harry promised, a smile coming to his face as he imagined Mrs Weasley's reaction, rising to his feet. "A Mrs Weasley scolding might just be enough to send you back to St Mungo's."

Mr Weasley laughed. "And if not I'm sure she'll send me off anyway," he chuckled. "Cart me away before I can do any more damage."

Harry smiled. "See you later, Mr Weasley."

"See you, Harry," Mr Weasley called as Harry stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him.

On the landing Harry took a breath.

"Hey," said Ron, descending down from the floor above, glancing over at him. "Were you talking to dad?"

"I brought up his lunch," Harry told him. He didn't think sharing his and Mr Weasley's conversation with Ron was the smartest thing to do. "What about you? Napping?"

"Not today," Ron said with a shrug. In his eyes there was nothing wrong with sleeping in until lunchtime. "I wasn't really tired so I started getting some writing done."

"Homework?" Harry asked, surprised as they began their journey downstairs. "Really?"

Ron snorted.

"Of course not," he said, rolling his eyes at the very idea. "I'll do that on the way back. No, I was writing a letter."

"To who?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"To whom, I think you mean," Ron replied, a satisfied smirk on his face. Harry's eyes widened.

"Who are you and what have you done with Ron Weasley," he demanded. Ron sniggered.

"Sorry mate," he chuckled. "Hermione got me with that one back on the train and I've been waiting for the opportunity to use it on someone else."

Harry shook his head. "Honestly, I'm feeling so attacked right now."

Ron grinned.

"Anyway, it's Hermione I'm writing to," he said, answering Harry's original question. "It's been a couple of days since we got back so I thought it'd be a good idea to, you know, let her know how things are going, what's up with dad, stuff like that."

"Okay," said Harry. It was somewhat unusual for Ron to be so disciplined in his letter writing - he very rarely wrote home when staying at Hogwarts - but Harry supposed these were special circumstances.

"I wonder what she's doing right now," Ron pondered as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Who, Hermione?" asked Harry. "Homework, probably. Why do you ask?" Ron shrugged.

"I don't know," he said vaguely. "We just don't really know much about what she does over the holidays, do we. Like, what's her folks' place like. We've met her parents, I suppose, but we've never really talked to them. Maybe we should visit sometime… although, I suppose with the war and everything…"

Harry looked at him in disbelief.

"Wow, you are absolutely smitten," Harry murmured, shaking his head. "You just can't stop thinking about her." Ron went red.

"What?" He spluttered. "Yes I can. It's you that's smitten. I'm just being a friend, a good friend. There's _nothing_ weird about that."

"Right," Harry said doubtfully. "Sure Ron."

Ron looked as though he was going to retort, his mouth opening and closing before he stopped himself. He bit his tongue and turned away.

"I'm just going to…" he gestured to the letter in his hand.

"See you later," said Harry and he slipped into the kitchen.

"Harry, there you are." The kitchen of the Burrow looked quite empty but that was only due to the fact that there were usually so many more people there. For now it was only Bill, Fleur and Ginny seated around the table, with Mrs Weasley on her feet and bustling towards him.

"What took you so long? Sit," Mrs Weasley instructed, pushing him down into a seat, coincidentally right next to Ginny. He wouldn't have thought anything of it but, with his conversation with Mr Weasley still fresh in his mind, Harry started to wonder if this was deliberate.

"I assume Arthur got his meal," Mrs Weasley determined. "Was he eating?"

"He was when I left," Harry answered. "He was enjoying it." Of course there was a good chance Typhlosion had got his fill too. Harry steadfastly avoided Ginny's eye.

"Good," said Mrs Weasley, looking relieved. "And Ron?"

"Just sending a letter," Harry said quickly. "He should be here soon."

"I'm here," Ron announced, slouching into the room. "You can call off the search party."

"What took you so long?" Bill asked as Ron pushed his way past his chair to take a seat before the only remaining plate of food. "You're usually the first to the table."

"I was writing a letter," Ron said defensively. A bit too defensively.

"Ooh, iz this for a girl, Ron?" Fleur asked interestedly. Ron blushed.

"No!" He shouted, just as Harry said 'Yes'. Ron glared.

"I was writing to Hermione," Ron told them. "As friends," he stressed. No one pushed him on that. No one believed him.

As the usual chatter of a Weasley meal started up again Ginny caught Harry's eye and they shared a grin.

"Can I have your sausage, Harry?" She asked. Harry blinked, looking down at his plate, before frowning up at her.

"Haven't you had enough?" Ginny winked, reaching over and skewering his sausage with her fork, lifting it to her lips with a smirk.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

To DelugeLeader 666: Happy New Year. It's good to hear from you again, I hope you've been enjoying the story. As for your question I base this off the books mainly, although I do sometimes include things from the movies that I quite liked. An example that springs to mind is Sirius punching Lucius Malfoy in the Department of Mysteries. I'm pretty sure he doesn't do that in the books, but I could be wrong.

If you've enjoyed this chapter then please leave a Review and follow my Twitter page for updates on the series and all my other work. Until then, goodbye.


	19. Christmas

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Life at the Burrow continued along in a peaceful manner, somewhat out of the ordinary for such a usually excitable household. But with the twins staying over at Lee Jordan's, Percy working hard at the Ministry, and Charlie all the way over in Romania with his dragons, the Weasley household became a lot more peaceful.

That all changed for Christmas Day. The twins were back, arriving the night of Christmas Eve and forcing Harry to move back in with Ron, as was Percy, though with a lot less fanfare, and the energy in the house rose. The twins, having been away for so long, were simply bursting at the seams with jokes and while Percy took an early night Harry, Ron and Ginny stayed up with the prankster duo till the early hours of the morning, before Mrs Weasley came down and demanded they all get to bed at once.

Come Christmas morning the living room was filled with presents, gifts scattered around the base of the lopsided and wildly decorated Christmas tree, and all the occupants of the Burrow, even Mr Weasley, were gathered round.

Presents turned to lunch, which in turn turned to conversation, before dinner was served. Mrs Weasley outdid herself with the Christmas meal, creating a feast that would put even Hogwarts to shame, laden with all the old classics along with a few new dishes courtesy of Fleur, which everyone dug into with enthusiasm.

It was only after dinner was finished, Mrs Weasley and Fleur clearing the table as everyone else meandered their way back into the living room, that Harry was able to step outside for some fresh air.

The cold nipped at him as soon as he crossed the threshold, the warmth of the Burrow in stark contrast to the chill of the winter night. It hadn't snowed heavily that day, but it had just enough to leave a small coating of frost on the ground, which crunched beneath Harry's feet as he walked to the garden fence.

He leaned against it, letting out a long breath and watching as it froze in the air before him. It was dead silent outside, so different from the loud and boisterous atmosphere of the Burrow. Though it had been many years since he'd left behind his cupboard under the stairs Harry still wasn't quite fully comfortable in the busy and crowded world of the Weasleys, not that he would trade them for anything. He just needed a breather from time to time.

The thought of the Weasleys, all crammed together in the small living room, caused a feeling of warmth to spread through his chest.

A door opened behind him. A second passed and then there were footfalls approaching, crunching the snow louder the closer they got.

Harry turned.

"Hey."

Ginny looked up at him, snuggled up in the warmth of her fluffy winter coat.

"Hey."

They stood there for a moment.

Harry turned back around, leaning against the frost covered fence and staring into the darkness. "So, are you here to join me?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder. Ginny gave a small, halfhearted shrug.

Harry turned his attention away again, looking out on the still darkness of the cold, silent winter night.

There was a soft crunch of compressed snow as Ginny moved closer.

"I came to see what you were doing out here," she said, coming to a stop beside him, leaning against the fence to match his figure. She glanced his way. "You alright?"

Harry glanced back at her and nodded. "Just needed some fresh air," he said, eyes once again focused on the inky blackness. "I'm not great around loads of people. Sometimes I just need time to myself." They fell into silence once more.

Harry wondered if Ginny might take offence, that she might take his words literally and assume she was bothering him. To be honest he didn't mind her being there. In fact, he might actually prefer it.

Either way Ginny made no effort to leave.

"How'd you like your gift?" Harry asked, looking over. Ginny had been staring off into the distance and looked almost surprised as she turned to face him.

"Oh, the Quidditch manual," she said, her face morphing into a genuine smile. "Oh, yes, it's brilliant. I didn't get much of a chance to read it though." She ducked her head. "I feel kind of bad now, I thought Gwenog's autograph was your gift to me. I don't really think my gift compares."

"But I loved your gift," Harry told her. He dug his hand deep into his pockets and found what he was looking for, the Talonflame PFG figure he'd received that morning. "Besides, I didn't really do anything to get you the autograph. If anything the gift was from Slughorn."

Ginny laughed. "And that wouldn't be inappropriate at all," she joked. "I think it's best for everyone involved if we just say the gift was from you."

"I suppose when you put it like that," Harry muttered, lips twitching.

Ginny cast him a sideways glance. "Do you really like my gift?" She asked.

"Of course," Harry said decisively. "I don't really play PFG but I always try and keep an eye out for figures of my Pokémon. Before today the closest I had for Talonflame was a Fletchling figure. He'll be really pleased. I didn't realise they even made Talonflame figures."

"Well, they don't, actually. Not usually, anyway," Ginny explained. "I saw this on a back shelf during the last Hogsmeade visit, and since the price was reduced so low I decided to get it."

"Weren't we not speaking at the time?" Harry pondered curiously. Ginny flushed.

"Yes," she said. "And I know that's my fault but I did hope things would change. And after I heard the story behind it and since it was so cheap I decided…" Ginny tailed off.

Harry glanced down at the figure curiously.

"So, what's the story?" He asked, turning back to Ginny. Ginny quickly straightened up.

"Well, do you remember how the PFG company made custom figures for the first task of the Tri-Pokémon Tournament?" She asked. Harry nodded. "Well, clearly they saw the potential to make a profit and so they came out with these, limited edition pieces for all the champions' Pokémon used during the tournament."

"Really?" Harry said interestedly, examining the figure more closely. "I didn't notice."

"Neither did I," Ginny told him. "But that's what the PFG guy told me when I asked him. They had other figures there too, like Gardevoir, Staraptor, and Feraligatr, and also Pokémon from the second task, like Gyarados. Of course, after what happened to Cedric interest died down and they stopped production. That's one of the few that was left."

Harry looked down at the figure in wonder, his mind a whirl of emotions as he thought back to the Tri-Pokémon Tournament. He remembered how hard he had fought to train himself to complete the tasks, how difficult it had been when most of the school saw him as an illegitimate champion, and remembered how the whole thing had come to such a devastating conclusion.

"I can't believe all that was two years ago," he muttered quietly to himself. So much had happened since. "I was barely fourteen when the Sorting Xatu picked me out."

"I know, it's crazy," Ginny murmured. "I mean, two years ago today we were at the Yule Ball together." A smile spread across Harry's face.

"As I remember by this point you'd ditched me already," he reminded her. Ginny flushed.

"Oh god, I did," she moaned, face in her hands. Harry chuckled.

"Michael Corner, wasn't it?" He asked. Ginny nodded.

"In fairness we went as friends," she defended herself. Harry agreed easily. He wasn't mad.

Ginny sighed. "Though I do admit I wish I hadn't," she muttered quietly. "Michael was a mistake."

Harry shrugged. "Well, at least you know," he told her. "Can't say you didn't try. Wish I could do that more often." Ginny glanced at him.

"You want a girlfriend?" Harry shrugged.

"Ideally, I suppose," he admitted. "But that's not really what I meant. I just… I'd just like the chance to make that choice, you know. With everything that's going on I feel like I'm being bounced around from one emotion to the next. I just wish that things were different, that my biggest worry was finding the courage to ask a girl out." He met Ginny's eyes and for a brief moment he found himself lost in them. Unbidden he imagined asking _her_ out.

Harry cleared his throat. "Anyway, it was probably for the best you did go off with Michael," he said, breaking eye contact and looking out into the trees. "My evening got really weird."

"How so?" Ginny asked, turning to face the trees also. "What happened?"

Harry took a moment to pause and think back. It wasn't easy to remember exactly what had happened that night, and specifically the exact order the different events had occurred that fateful evening two years ago.

"Well," he said slowly. "Not long after you left me I saw that Durmstrang teacher, Professor Stefanov, sneaking out of the hall. Do you remember him?" He glanced over to see Ginny's nod before continuing. "I followed him down to the dungeons to Snape's classroom and overheard them arguing about the Death Eaters. Next thing I know Stefanov's pulled back Snape's sleeve and revealed his Dark Mark."

"Wow," Ginny muttered. "You didn't even know he was a Death Eater by then, did you. I can't imagine what sort of shock that would have been." Harry nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," he said. "It was a shock but that was only the start. The next thing I know Dumbledore's Chimecho caught me snooping outside Snape's office door and took me up to Dumbledore's office, only he wasn't there. Then I accidentally activated the time plant that he'd left on his desk, curiosity being my downfall again, and I ended up seeing the memory of the LeStrange's trial. Then Dumbledore found me, he told me about what had happened to Neville's parents, and that Snape was a spy. Then I ended up with Fleur out on the grounds, that's the first time we'd really talked, I think, and then Sirius…"

He fell silent. Thoughts of Sirius always brought him to a halt. He had been so important to Harry, so ever present in his mind, and it was at times like these that he was reminded just how much Sirius had meant to him before he'd been so cruelly snatched away.

Beside him Ginny was quiet too, but he could sense her gaze upon him. He could not bare to look at her, not when his pain was so bare for anyone to see, and instead he stared into the darkness.

"It still hurts, huh?" Ginny whispered. Harry gave a sharp nod. He reckoned it always would.

Silence fell once more.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Ginny said softly. "I forgot how difficult this must be. When you were talking about Sirius before, back at school when you were comforting me about dad, you seemed to have made peace with it." A small shudder passed through Harry's body.

"It's easier to pretend," he said thickly, "when you're doing it to help someone." He swallowed. He could not let himself be overcome by his emotions. He had to stay strong.

"Thank you."

The words surprised him, so much so that he actually turned to face her. She was watching him with that sad look, the one that told him she understood, better than he ever wanted to admit, just what he was feeling.

He nodded stiffly.

"Do you think about him often?" Ginny asked. Reflexively Harry flinched.

"Sometimes," he muttered. "Not as often as I should." He wiped a hand roughly across his face, surprising himself to find the Talonflame figure still clutched in his grasp, pointy edges digging into his flesh. For some reason looking at it seemed to calm him.

"It comes and goes," Harry admitted quietly, still watching the figure in his palm. "I go for long times not thinking of him and then suddenly… something flickers, in my head, and I remember, and then I feel guilty to have ever forgotten."

"You haven't forgotten, Harry," Ginny told him sincerely. Harry turned to her. "You never could." She was right there. Harry just wished he could forget, and that very thought made him sick.

"I know you're probably not going to think the best of me when I say this," Harry said hesitantly. "But I'm glad Remus and Tonks aren't here. Whenever I see them I think of Sirius. And I know it's awful but I can't… I can't think about it. I can't acknowledge that it's real, that it happened. It just hurts, so much. Too much."

"You don't have to feel guilty about that, Harry," Ginny told him. "You don't have to feel guilty for the pain you're going through. I got a small taste after dad was attacked and I know I wouldn't be holding up as well as you are now."

Harry grimaced. He didn't want to feel guilty, didn't want to continue to struggle, but at the same time he found it hard to let go, to accept Ginny's words as true. He felt he needed this pain, if for no other reason than to prove that he cared, to prove to himself that he had loved Sirius, that he wouldn't forget him, and that he would mourn him the way Sirius deserved to be mourned.

Harry doubted Ginny would be able to understand all that but yet she was there, trying, and the way she watched him said that she wasn't going anywhere until the pain went away, for however long that took.

"You're not alone in this, Harry," she told him. "We all feel similar things. Not to the same extent you do but we do understand better than you think. And while I can't tell you the answer and just make things okay I can be here. And I will be. So, if you ever want to talk, about Sirius or the war or anything, or even if you just want to sit in silence, I'd quite like to be there sitting next to you."

Harry let out a long sigh.

"Thank you," he muttered quietly, glancing up to meet her gaze. "That means a lot to me."

Ginny watched him, her eyes tinged with sadness and something else, something that hadn't been there before. Hope.

"Come here," she whispered and she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

Automatically Harry's arms wrapped around her smaller frame, his nose filling with the flowery scent he'd come to associate as quintessentially Ginny, and he breathed in softly as the tension within him began to fade.

"Merry Christmas, Harry," Ginny whispered. Harry's arms tightened around her.

"Merry Christmas, Ginny."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this chapter then please Review and follow me on Twitter for more updates.


	20. Malfoy's Mission

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

After Christmas things began to settle down once more. Boxing Day marked the departure of Percy from the group, the older boy insisting that he had to get back to London for work. Meanwhile Fred and George hung around for a few days longer before they too left, heading back to Lee's flat with the excuse that running a business was a full time job and they couldn't leave it all on Lee any longer. However, that was only part of their reasoning.

"We've been doing some work for the Legion," George told Harry as he prepared to clear out his room for Harry to move back into. "Business isn't exactly booming, given the current climate, but it gives us a good excuse to be out of the public eye. We've got flexible hours, and Lee is always willing to cover, so we've been able to help out a lot. Just don't tell mum. You know how she'd react."

And so soon enough they were gone, leaving behind only those who had been staying there before; Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Ron, Harry, and Ginny.

Harry hadn't had much time to think since the events of Christmas, and before that his conversation with Mr Weasley, but now that he once again had some space and, significantly, a room to himself he was able to take the opportunity to ponder what it all meant.

One thing was for certain. He liked Ginny. And the longer he spent in her presence the more he realised that it was far more than simple friendship he felt for her. He didn't know what it was, couldn't have explained it if he tried, but he just found himself captivated by the youngest Weasley. Everything from her smile, to her laugh, to the way she played with her hair when she wasn't paying attention, seemed to catch Harry's attention and draw him in whenever they were in a room together.

And if there was any doubt of his feelings, doubt he'd long since realised was to be discarded, it was removed come New Year's Eve, at the stroke of midnight, when Bill and Fleur and Mr and Mrs Weasley shared a kiss to bring in the new year, and Harry found himself yearning to do the same with her.

Of course, he did not act on it. How could he? His experience with girls was hardly anything to write home about, he was quite simply clueless on what to do. But a bigger problem, one that held him back for reasons much more than simple shyness, was that he did not feel like he could do anything while under the Weasleys' roof. Ron wouldn't be happy, that much was for certain, and while Mr Weasley had essentially given him his blessings it seemed a poor way to repay him for his hospitality.

But Harry knew that he wanted to be with Ginny. And he wanted it bad. And so he awaited with great anticipation the day they'd return to Hogwarts, the day they'd no longer be under the Weasleys' roof, where he could, Harry hoped, get the chance to tell her how he felt.

The platform at King's Cross Station was packed, as usual. Everyone had wanted to be home for the holidays and so it was pretty much the whole school that was travelling back on the Hogwarts Express for the start of the new term.

Mad-Eye Moody had come to escort them, thankfully agreeing to leave behind his beaten up Volkswagen in favour of Mr Weasley's minivan, and so Harry, Ron and Ginny, accompanied by Mrs Weasley and Bill, left Mr Weasley behind with Fleur for company and made the journey down to London, arriving at the platform with just minutes to spare.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked, craning his neck to see over the crowd. He was quite a bit taller than most people, taller than even some of the parents, but he wasn't able to spot the bushy haired girl anywhere. "You think she's on the train?"

"Probably," Harry told him, nudging him forwards. "Come on." But he was pulled up short.

"Ron!"

The call came from within the crowd and a moment later there stood Hermione, having shoved her way through the gaggle of bodies to reach them, her face flushed.

"There you are," she said in relief, glancing past Ron's lean figure to see Harry and Ginny stowing the trunks behind him. "I've been looking out for you ever since I got here. The station is packed."

"Oh, yeah," Ron said awkwardly. "Yeah, we just arrived, actually. Moody, you know." He rolled his eyes before glancing over nervously. "How are you?"

"Good, thanks," Hermione said breathlessly. "Thank you for the letters."

"Ah…" Ron flushed, scratching at the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah… no problem…" An awkward silence fell.

The whistle blew.

"Come on," Harry said, pushing Ron towards the train. Ginny was already aboard, their trunks loaded up with her. "Get on."

Ron relented to Harry's touch, climbing onto the train automatically, and Harry jumped on after him before turning to help Hermione with her trunk.

Soon enough they were all on board and the doors were being shut behind them. With one more blast of the whistle the train was set in motion and the Hogwarts Express pulled away from the station. The four of them leaned out the window, waving to Mrs Weasley and Bill, the Grangers having joined them on the platform, before the Hogwarts Express turned the corner and they disappeared from view.

Harry pulled himself inside. "We should find a compartment," he said, reaching down to grab the handle of his trunk. There was a brief pause.

"Oh, didn't we tell you," Hermione gasped, looking surprised. "There's a prefect meeting at the front of the train, we got a message about it over the break."

"Yeah," Ron agreed, grimacing slightly. "Sorry mate." Harry waved it off. It wasn't the first time this had happened.

"I'll find a compartment," he promised, to grateful expressions from the pair of them. "See you later."

"Bye, Harry." And a moment later Ron and Hermione had disappeared down the train.

Harry turned to Ginny.

"So, are you leaving too?" He asked curiously. "You're not secretly a prefect and didn't tell me?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she said, grabbing ahold of the handle of her trunk before, on second thought, grabbing hold of Hermione's too. "Let's see if we can find Luna and Neville." Harry reached out to grab Ron's trunk too, silently thankful that Ginny had chosen to grab Hermione's heavy book-filled luggage instead, and the two of them began their journey along the train.

Halfway down the carriage, with no sign yet of either Neville or Luna, Harry found himself caught off guard as a compartment to his right opened suddenly. Before he even had time to register what was happening a fist grabbed a hold of his shirt and yanked him inside.

Harry staggered into the compartment, his trunk and Ron's torn from his grasp, and as he steadied himself he heard the door slam shut behind him, the lock clicking into place.

He turned.

Draco Malfoy stood before him, the scene eerily reminiscent of their meeting back before Christmas, and immediately Harry was on high alert. Malfoy's face was blank and pale, his eyes cold as he stared at Harry with a startling intensity.

"Harry!" Ginny's worried voice called after him and a moment later her face appeared in the window of the compartment door, her eyes widening as she caught a glimpse of who he was standing with. She rattled the door, trying to gain access, but it would not budge.

Malfoy, with a sneer plastered across his face, looked disdainfully out at the redhead before pulling the blinds shut, blocking her from view.

Harry sighed in annoyance.

"Seriously," he muttered, looking over at Malfoy in frustration. "Hang on a moment." He moved over to the door.

He got no response from his pale faced companion, Malfoy choosing just to watch him go, as Harry unlocked the door and pulled it partially open. A relieved looking Ginny became visible on the other side.

"Harry, what's going on?" She asked immediately. "What's Malfoy up to?" But she fell silent as Harry indicated for her to keep her voice down. He hesitated.

"It's complicated," he said eventually, eyes darting up and down the train so as to be sure not to be overheard. Ginny's eyes widened. "Look, I'm not in trouble, I'm not doing anything dangerous, it's fine. This is just something I have to deal with."

Ginny didn't look convinced. She looked like she had half a mind to argue but for whatever reason, whether it was because of the way Harry continued to glance up and down the train or out of some sort of self restraint, she kept quiet.

"Listen, go find Neville and Luna," Harry told her, aware that Malfoy was no doubt getting very impatient behind him. "I'll find you later, I promise. And please, don't mention this to anyone. I mean _anyone_." Ginny didn't look convinced.

"Okay," she said. "I promise, but I hope you realise you'll have to tell me some time." Harry nodded. "What about the luggage?"

"I'll bring mine later," Harry told her. "I'll see you in a bit." And, opening the door so he could drag his and Ron's trunks into the compartment, he backed away, shutting the door in Ginny's face and redoing the lock.

Malfoy was waiting.

"She gone?" He asked coldly. Harry looked at him.

"Yes," he said. "Though you could've just waited until I was alone. I thought you wanted to keep this quiet."

"You're never alone, Potter," Malfoy told him with a sneer. "I had to bribe the Head Girl to call a meeting just to get rid of Weasel and Granger. I hadn't realised you'd taken to hanging out with the girl Weasel." He paused. "I trust she won't say anything."

"She won't," Harry promised. "But she's suspicious. She'll need to be told something."

"You can tell her nothing," Malfoy spat. "She can know nothing. I do not trust her, I do not trust any of your so called friends. If you tell her anything about what we're doing…"

"You'll do what?" Harry asked. He was genuine. If Harry told Ginny everything would Malfoy really be able to do anything about it.

It didn't seem Malfoy had an answer. He fell silent.

Harry sighed. "What's this all about, Malfoy?" He asked tiredly. "What was so urgent it couldn't wait until we got back up to the castle? You know how risky this is."

"No, I don't, Potter," Malfoy spat. "Could you explain it to me? Using small words? Or do I have to sit through another lecture before you realise that I consider the safety of myself and my family of the utmost importance."

Harry turned away. Dealing with Malfoy was testing his patience.

"So why are we here?" He asked, turning around. Malfoy scowled.

"Have you taken my case to Dumbledore?" He asked.

Immediately Harry felt guilt course through him. It must have been obvious, too, for Malfoy's face contorted into a sneer.

"You haven't?" He said, outraged. "Well, have you?"

"No," Harry admitted reluctantly. "Not yet."

"And why not?" Malfoy demanded. Harry grimaced.

"Look, Malfoy, it's not that simple," he defended to the furious Slytherin. "I don't have some sort of magical communication hotline to Dumbledore or anything. You gave me one day before the holidays and I looked, he wasn't in his office. Who knows what he was doing over the break but I sure as hell don't."

"I don't care for your excuses, Potter," Malfoy spat.

"These aren't excuses," Harry defended. "These are facts. You seem to think I have some sort of special connection to Dumbledore that I don't. It's not like you can put this stuff in a letter. I haven't seen Dumbledore in… months."

"Well, you better talk to him soon," Malfoy warned. "If you had any idea the pressure I've been under since I got this mission. It's nothing like anything you've ever experienced. I've only been given to the end of the year to complete this task. If you can't get my message to Dumbledore then I'll have no choice, I'll have to kill him."

There was silence in the compartment. It was as though time itself stood still.

"What did you say?" Harry breathed. His heart thudded in his chest. Did he hear what he thought he'd heard?

Malfoy looked uncomfortable. "I said I had to complete my mission-" he began haltingly but Harry cut him off.

"You never said what your mission was," Harry told him, unable to rip his gaze away from the uneasy Slytherin. "You never said…"

Malfoy bit his lip.

"For good reason," he muttered darkly. "If I told you I knew you would act like this."

"Oh, don't try to turn this around on me," Harry argued, his temper rising. "I have every right to act like this. You were planning on killing Dumbledore? Do you even realise just how terrible that is? It goes beyond the pale."

"I was given a task by the Dark Lord, Potter," Malfoy bit out sharply. "What did you think it was going to be, flower picking?"

Harry took a deep breath. He could not believe what he was hearing, couldn't believe that Malfoy had not just told him up front what his mission was the first time. Had he known he wouldn't have just sat on the information for the entire break. He would have found a way to get in contact with Dumbledore, would have alerted the Legion that there was something of urgent importance.

Instead he'd spent the whole holiday worrying about Ginny.

Harry sighed. "Let's not get into this now," he said. His words were quiet, calmer than before, and his tone seemed to have a similar effect on Malfoy too. "This isn't the right place."

"Agreed," said Malfoy. "We should meet tonight."

"Midnight?" Harry suggested. Malfoy nodded. "Where?"

"The potions classroom," Malfoy answered. "Professor Snape has moved office with his new post and Slughorn chose to take an office up on the sixth floor rather than use the dungeons."

"Okay then," said Harry. "It's decided. But when we meet you have to promise me something Malfoy." Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "You can't keep anything from me. When we meet you'll be giving me your message for Dumbledore, so leave nothing out. If you do, then you'll be the one to suffer."

Malfoy stared at Harry with a long, calculating gaze.

"Agreed."

* * *

The rest of the journey passed by much too slowly for Harry's liking. His thoughts ran over what he had just learned again and again, his mind drifting from the present and garnering him more than a few strange looks from his friends.

After the meeting with Malfoy Harry had gone searching for Ginny, finding her in a compartment further up the train accompanied by Luna and Neville. The redhead clearly had a lot of questions, she kept on trying to catch his eye as they travelled north, but she kept to her word about not saying anything and Harry was glad that he did not have to deal with her just yet. He still didn't know what to tell her, caught between his promises to her and those he had made to Malfoy, and the longer he could put off having to make that choice the better.

Ron and Hermione appeared not too long after, Ron complaining bitterly about the pointlessness of the meeting they'd just had to sit through, with Hermione not looking too pleased either. It seemed Malfoy hadn't been lying when he said he'd arranged the meeting but his absence - he was a prefect after all - had not gone unnoticed.

"Malfoy didn't even turn up for the meeting," Ron complained as he recounted just how boring it had been. "Not that it matters but I wish I could have skipped out on it if he could have. What do you reckon he was doing, anyway? Is he even on the train?"

Ginny glanced meaningfully towards Harry. Harry steadfastly refused to meet her gaze.

"Probably," he said in what he hoped was a casual tone of voice. "He probably just couldn't be bothered. With everything that is going on, and his family's place on the other side, he probably doesn't care much for the authority of the Head Boy and Girl."

"Might be the only thing we agree on," Ron commented. He seemed satisfied, as did the rest of the group, with Harry's answer, and though Ginny continued to look his way for the rest of the trip Harry kept his mouth shut on the subject from then on.

Other than that the journey north passed by in usual fashion, talk mostly focused on what they did over the holidays, Luna telling an exciting tale of the Snorkack hunt she went on with her father, before they reached the lights of Hogsmeade station and trudged out into the cold night air to hitch a ride in the Zebstricka pulled carriages up towards the comfortingly familiar castle and the promise of warmth, a good meal, and a comfortable bed to look forward to.

As they all gathered in the Great Hall to enjoy the spectacular feast Hogwarts welcomed them back with, Harry found he could not bring himself to enjoy it. Even as conversation surrounded him, those he had not seen on the train making their presence known, he could not help but have his eyes drawn away up to the high table.

In the centre of the staff table sat Albus Dumbledore. He looked cheerful, and healthy, conversing heartily with Professor McGonagall as he ate, but every so often the sleeve of his right arm would pull back and expose the purplish mess that was his right hand. It had not healed even slightly since Harry had first seen it last summer.

Harry had no idea what Dumbledore had been up to over the holidays, their lessons being informative but not seeming to have reached the point Dumbledore was so obviously leading him towards, and Harry could only wait to be contacted again so he could learn more, and so he could pass on his message.

But first, Malfoy.

* * *

It was a much quieter castle that greeted Harry as he snuck out of the Gryffindor Common Room that night. And it was a good thing too. He didn't want to be seen.

Any other night there would have been someone hanging around the common room to see him go, whether it be a student staying up late to study or finish off some last minute homework or some friends thinking to party the night away. But it was the first night back and all anyone wanted to do after the long trip from King's Cross Station was sleep.

Due to this fact nobody saw Harry leave and he was able to sneak down through the castle and duck into the potions classroom without anyone being any the wiser.

"You're late."

Malfoy had beaten him there, leaning against the teacher's desk impatiently with a familiar scowl on his face. The room itself was familiar and surprised Harry with the sense of nostalgia it brought as he looked around. But he'd never seen the room so quiet, always full of students haphazardly trying to muddle their way to brewing the perfect potion, and so he turned back to Malfoy.

"Some of us had further to go than others to get here, _Draco_ ," he countered, closing the door behind him. Malfoy sneered. "But I'm here now. So, talk."

Malfoy threw him a disgusted look.

"Really, Potter, I've said all I have to say," he drawled. "The Dark Lord gave me a mission and that mission was to kill Dumbledore. I came to you so you could alert the Headmaster of that fact and so that we can arrange some protection for my parents. You don't need to know anything. For that matter, had you already passed on my message I would be done with you."

"And as much as I would love to not have to see or hear from you again I've already told you that you have an unrealistic expectation of how easy it would be to get Dumbledore's attention," Harry snapped. "Had you just told me what your mission was I could have done something about it but…"

"What my mission was should have no baring on your ability to contact Dumbledore," Malfoy snapped angrily. "You should have gone straight to Dumbledore regardless."

"I tried," Harry defended.

"And you've clearly put so much effort into it," Malfoy sneered. "Meanwhile I've spent my holiday surrounded by people who would want nothing more than to see me succeed, some who have actively tried to help, and are encouraging me on in ways you would not wish me to pursue."

Harry froze at those words.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked. "You've had help? There's been people, Death Eaters, helping you on your mission? What have they done?"

Malfoy shifted awkwardly.

"There are some who know of my mission," he said stiffly. "Many don't believe in my abilities. Some have taken… alternate measures."

Malfoy fell quiet once more but he'd said all he had to. Silence hung in the air between them.

"Katie?" Harry spoke and immediately he knew he was right. "That necklace? That was meant for Dumbledore?" Malfoy nodded stiffly. "Who…?"

"Aunt Bella," Malfoy muttered. "She has been the most… enthusiastic of my supporters." Harry's blood ran cold.

So it had been Bellatrix LeStrange who had slipped Katie that necklace, Bellatrix who was responsible for Katie's injuries, of which she had still not returned from. And with a shiver Harry realised that Bellatrix must have been in the Three Broomsticks for this to happen. She had been mere feet away from him and he hadn't even known.

Had Katie's bad luck in touching the necklace saved Dumbledore's life?

Harry snapped into focus.

"You said there were others," he said sharply, focusing in on Malfoy. "Who?"

"Any number of low level Death Eaters would like to see me succeed with their support," Malfoy sneered, "if only so they can claim favour with the Dark Lord. But few dare try anything. Aunty Bella sees to that. She wants me to get the credit, wants me to rise the ranks and follow in father's footsteps in service to the Dark Lord, at least to a point."

"Who else?" Harry pressed.

"My mother," Malfoy admitted with a sigh. "She has not made any suggestions but she wishes me to succeed, for my safety as much as anything. She even sought out assistance."

"Assistance?" Harry repeated. "From who?" There was a pause.

"Severus Snape," said Malfoy dryly.

"Snape?"

"He's been at me all year, trying to figure out what I've got planned," Malfoy told him. "Claims he only wishes to help. But I have my doubts. Arceus only knows where his loyalties lie."

Harry regarded Malfoy carefully. Could Snape's cover be failing him? "What do you mean?"

"I mean he's a double agent, Potter. Surely you must have realised," Malfoy scoffed. "He spies on Dumbledore for the Dark Lord and spies on the Dark Lord for Dumbledore. Nobody knows whose side he's really on. Aunty Bella doesn't trust him but mother says the Dark Lord does. But then so does Dumbledore. One of these men must be wrong. Perhaps both."

"So you haven't said anything to Snape," Harry concluded.

Malfoy gave him a look.

"There's little I trust you for," he said. "But at least I know whose side you're on."

That was something at least.

Harry sighed.

"So," he said heavily. "Bellatrix sent the necklace, nearly killing Katie Bell in the process." Malfoy flinched. That caught Harry off guard.

"Is there anything else that's happened?" He asked. "Has Bellatrix tried anything else? Have you? I can't imagine nothing has happened since Katie, that was months ago. And Bellatrix doesn't give up on something that easy."

"She gave up on that plan," Malfoy informed him. "But she had others. She hasn't acted out yet but she's been feeding me ideas. She's been pushing them… aggressively." Malfoy looked away. "I acted on one of them."

Harry started.

"What did you do?" He demanded. "Malfoy…?"

"It doesn't matter," Malfoy brushed him off, not making eye contact. "Dumbledore's still alive, you saw him at dinner. It didn't work so it doesn't matter."

"Malfoy," Harry said warningly. "Remember what I said. Don't leave out anything."

Malfoy grimaced.

"I slipped a bottle of poison to Slughorn," he admitted, turning away from Harry and pacing the room. "The idea was for him to be fooled into thinking he bought it as a gift for Dumbledore for Christmas. I know, not the smartest, but this is difficult and I took a shot."

"But it didn't work," said Harry.

Malfoy scowled. "Clearly."

Harry closed his eyes, thinking.

"So," he said. "Where is the poison now? Does Slughorn still have it?" Malfoy shrugged.

"Presumably," he said, uncaring. "I should have known he'd keep it for himself. The poison was disguised as Oak Matured Mead, I should have known something of that quality would never have been passed on as a gift."

"Well, let's hope you're right," said Harry. "If Slughorn has sent the poison to someone else we might never find it."

"Who cares," Malfoy retorted.

"I care," Harry argued back. "And since I care so do you. We're getting that poison back, even if we have to interrogate Slughorn to do it."

"But why?" Malfoy complained petulantly.

"So no one dies!" Harry thundered. "I'd like to remind you it would be a bit of a blot on your record if Dumbledore found out you'd killed someone, Katie was bad enough."

"I didn't know about Bell," Malfoy argued.

"I don't care," said Harry. "The point is you are banking on Dumbledore's protection and if you can't prove that you don't want to kill anyone then I don't see you getting that."

Malfoy fell silent. He had no retort and Harry knew it.

"So, what do you suggest?" He asked reluctantly.

"We break into Slughorn's office," Harry told him. "If the poison is still with him then that's where we'll find it."

"Right, well, while you do that…" Malfoy started but Harry was having none of it.

"You're coming with me," he ordered. Malfoy scowled. "I don't know what I'm looking for. You'll need to be there too."

"Fine," Malfoy muttered. "So when are we going to do this? At dinner?"

"No, people would notice we're not there," Harry told him. "We need a time when we know he'll be out of his office and we can both excuse ourselves from our friends. So, not during classes or meals."

"We'll go Friday," Malfoy said immediately. Harry looked at him to explain. Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Slughorn goes down to the greenhouses on Friday's after dinner to harvest some of Sprout's plants without her noticing," Malfoy informed him. "She has a meeting with the other Heads of House so her plants are unguarded. It should give you about an hour to sneak into Slughorn's office, get the poison, and leave."

"You mean us," Harry reminded him. Malfoy grunted.

"Fine," he amended. "Plenty of time for _us_ to find the poison. Happy?"

He was not. He did not want to be breaking into a teacher's office looking for a deadly poison that could very well not be there. But he had to. He had to know that the poison would not end up hurting anybody. And so he had to hold his nose and work with Malfoy.

"Let's do this."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this chapter please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for updates on this and other works.

I'll see you in the next chapter.


	21. Oak Matured Mead

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Over the week that followed Harry kept his word to Malfoy not to say anything about what they were doing. It wasn't easy. Ginny was sniffing around for the opportunity to ask him about his confrontation with Malfoy on the train, but so far she had been unable to get him alone. Meanwhile Ron and Hermione did not know anything of what was going on, and so far Ginny was trusting Harry enough not to spill the beans, but Harry knew that this could not last forever. Eventually he'd be forced to face the music.

Or he could hope that it all cleared up by the time Ginny was able to corner him. After all, his job was only to take Malfoy's message to Dumbledore. It was entirely possible that after doing so he wouldn't need to be involved anymore at all, and Harry planned on talking to the aged Headmaster very soon.

Friday evening arrived with much anticipation and, even though they did not know anything about what was going on, Hermione and Ron had become all too aware of it. He explained it off as being excited for Quidditch practice, the first one being the next day, and while that did seem to satisfy his friends Harry knew he really needed to be more careful. Neither Ron nor Hermione were stupid.

"Are you sure you're alright, Harry?" Hermione asked him at dinner, frowning and glancing down at his plate of mostly untouched food. "You've barely eaten."

"Yeah, come on mate. You're not going to be much use at Quidditch if you don't eat," Ron added. Harry tried to wave them away.

"I'm just not hungry," he told them. He glanced up at the staff table. There was Dumbledore, sitting at the centre of the teachers. He'd tell him tonight.

Hermione was still frowning. "You do look a bit peaky," she told him, leaning forward to place a hand on his forehead. "And you do seem a little warm. Maybe you're be coming down with something."

Harry, sensing an opportunity, rolled with it.

"Maybe," he said. "Actually you could be right. I'll just go see Madam Pomfrey. I'll see you back in the common room." And with his excuses made Harry stood up and strode from the Great Hall.

The corridors were quiet at this time of the evening but not entirely empty. Dinner had been going on for a while now so Harry came across a fair few Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students heading up to their common rooms, and even some Hufflepuffs and Slytherins heading towards the library. His destination, however, was the sixth floor.

The room they'd picked out to meet was an old and dusty unused classroom, the sort of room that probably hadn't seen a class in years. A layer of dust covered all the desks and the window by the front of the room had a small crack that would have been fixed and replaced had anyone been around to notice it. The room itself was small and unremarkable, somewhere that no one would think to look, and it was situated just down the corridor from Slughorn's office.

The clock ticked in a steady rhythm as Harry sat there, causing him to glance its way every so often. Time seemed to crawl by as he waited for when they were to meet.

And then, as the clock ticked just past eight, a rustle of movement sounded as Malfoy appeared suddenly in the middle of the room, an Alakazam by his side.

"Coast's clear," he said briskly, not bothering with pleasantries as he looked down on where Harry sat.

Harry climbed to his feet. "Slughorn's gone?" He asked. "You're sure?"

"I saw him leave the castle just a minute ago," Malfoy told him. "Now hurry up so we can get this over with." He nodded to Alakazam.

"Wait," Harry said quickly. Alakazam, preparing to teleport them, paused. "We can't just appear in Slughorn's office."

"Why not?" Asked Malfoy shortly. "You think it's impolite?"

"What if there's someone in there," Harry reasoned. "How would we be able to explain our presence, much less why we're apparently working together?"

"Well, fortunately we won't have to," Malfoy said slowly, as if speaking to someone really dumb. "There won't be anyone in Slughorn's office. He's not there."

"How can you know?" Harry pestered. "You never know when he decides to invite someone round."

"Why would he invite someone over when he's busy sneaking plants from Sprout?" Malfoy complained. "You're being ridiculous."

"I'm being cautious," Harry denied. "What's the harm in taking a few extra seconds to have a look through the keyhole before we teleport blindly into the room."

Malfoy crossed his arms.

"Fine," he said. "Have it your way, Potter." While not being entirely sincere at least he wasn't arguing.

"Let's go."

The corridor outside their little meeting place was empty, which was hardly surprising. One of the reasons this particular office was so sought after by Slughorn was most likely due to how it wasn't anywhere near any of the major thoroughfares through the castle. Quiet and peaceful, which would make what Harry was trying to do a lot easier.

He snuck down the corridor and crouched by the door. He peered through the keyhole.

His view of Slughorn's office didn't show much, Harry could only see what was situated directly in front of him, but he didn't see anything suspicious or sense any movement and, pressing his ear to the door, he couldn't hear anything either.

He glanced back at Malfoy, who was watching with an unimpressed look.

"Seems clear," Harry admitted. Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"As I expected," he drawled and he clicked his fingers. A moment later Alakazam had teleported them inside the office.

Harry had a quick look round.

"Seems like we got lucky," Harry murmured, instinctively keeping his voice low. Malfoy snorted.

"Come on, Potter, quit wasting time," he drawled, walking further into the office and not caring to keep the volume down. "Wouldn't want Slughorn to catch you here alone."

"What do you mean, alone," Harry shot back.

"If Slughorn gets back I'm getting out of here regardless of whether we've got the bottle or not," Malfoy told him. "It's in your interests to find the poison now. So get to it."

Harry scowled. "Okay," he said reluctantly. "So, what am I looking for?"

"A bottle of oak matured mead," Malfoy told him. "I doubt you've ever had a beverage of this caliber so you likely won't recognise it. Back when I slipped it to Slughorn I placed it on that table there, alongside a collection of other items Slughorn was clearly giving away, and attached a tag with the word Dumbledore on it."

"Can't imagine why that didn't work," Harry muttered quietly.

"Anyway, it is clearly not on the table any more," Malfoy continued, ignoring Harry's interruption. "I imagine he's stashed it away somewhere secure, along with undoubtedly other such beverages he saves for a rainy day. I imagine we're looking for… Potter?"

"Shh," Harry whispered, holding up a hand to stop him, a finger held to his lips. He'd heard something.

For a long moment the two of them stood in silence.

There it was again, Malfoy clearly hearing it too, a soft snivelling sound, accompanied by a grunt. Harry and Malfoy shared a look.

The noise was coming from behind Professor Slughorn's opulent wooden desk, set aside on the opposite side of the room from where they stood. As quietly as possible the two boys crept towards the noise, approaching the desk from either side, making sure to stay silent, lest whatever lay behind the desk be disturbed.

Another grunt sounded and Harry came to a halt. He was by the desk now, another couple of steps would grant him sight of the whole area, and would show him what it was that was hidden from view. He looked back to Malfoy, nodding his head over to where Alakazam stood silently where they had left him, and Malfoy got the message. He nodded.

As Alakazam prepared to teleport them out of there at a moment's notice Harry ever so carefully crept round the side of Slughorn's desk and looked down.

And there, lying fast asleep beneath Slughorn's desk, was Grumpig.

Harry quickly gestured Malfoy back, tiptoeing away from where Grumpig slept, not saying a word until he'd finally joined Malfoy at the other end of the room.

"It's Slughorn's Grumpig," he murmured. Malfoy's eyes widened. "He's asleep."

"No sudden movements," agreed Malfoy. "And we need to be fast. Let's find this thing and get out."

Harry nodded in agreement.

"You said Slughorn would keep the bottle with others like it," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Where would that be? You know people like Slughorn, where do they keep their booze?"

Malfoy looked offended. "Oak matured mead is not booze, Potter," he sneered. "Liquor of that quality would be the pride of any room, displayed in a glass cabinet for all to see. Although, Slughorn is a teacher…" His eyes surveyed the many cupboards that surrounded the office.

"The cupboards, then?" Harry suggested.

"Try the lower ones," Malfoy instructed. "Slughorn wouldn't put his drinks in a place he couldn't easily reach." And they split up.

Their search of the room was thorough but silent. Each boy was only too aware of how close they were to being caught - a knocked over vial might bring an end to their search immediately and if Slughorn knew someone had been snooping around it would just be that much more difficult to try again. They searched each and ever cupboard at ground level, each taking a side of the room, but after a thorough sweep found nothing.

They met up back at the door.

"So what now?" Harry asked. "The upper cabinets?"

"Unlikely," Malfoy told him. "I'd say not worth even checking, unless as a last resort. The more we search the more I'm beginning to think it's not here."

"Perhaps," Harry murmured. "But I'm not ready to give up yet. After all, we haven't found the rest of his drinks. Does Slughorn really seem like the type not to enjoy the occasional glass of wine."

"More than occasional," Malfoy commented but he was in agreement. "Anyone who drinks like Slughorn, and I've seen him drink plenty in the Great Hall, would keep his supply close at hand. There's only one place I would think that we haven't checked." He looked to the desk.

Slughorn's desk was magnificent. In fact, even Dumbledore's paled in comparison. With a chair situated in the middle on one side alone there were six different drawers. On the other side sat a sliding door.

Harry, silent as he could be, reached out to touch it.

It was locked.

He turned to Malfoy.

Malfoy seemed to understand what he was asking for because a moment later Alakazam was at his side. The psychic type turned his attention to the door, focusing hard, and a moment later the lock clicked.

Under the desk Grumpig grunted in his sleep.

It looked like they were in luck. As Harry pulled back the door, wincing as the wheels rattled with the movement, bottle upon bottle appeared before them, stored such that only the top of every bottle was visible to them. Harry had no idea what he was looking at really, alcohol had never been a subject he gave much attention, but from the labels alone he could tell that they were all very expensive.

As Harry opened the door to its fullest Malfoy stepped forward, peering intently at the bottles with careful eyes. So intense was his scrutiny that he did not even notice the floor beneath him had dipped. His foot fell the extra inch and hit the floor with a sharp tap and Malfoy's eyes widened as he began to sway.

Instinctively Harry reached out and grabbed a hold of Malfoy's wrist. He steadied, no longer off balance, and after a brief glance between them they looked down to where Grumpig lay.

He was, thankfully, still asleep.

Harry let out a breath of relief. Looking to Malfoy he received a nod, indicating for him to let go, and as he did so Malfoy leaned in closer to the cabinet.

A minute passed in silence as Malfoy's grey eyes roamed the many bottles, searching out details Harry couldn't possibly hope to distinguish, before he reached out suddenly, his hand closing around the neck of one of them, and gently, inch by inch, he prised it free.

With the bottle in hand Malfoy looked at it closely, his eyes scanning the label, before he turned to Harry and nodded.

Harry started to roll back the door, hating the way the wheels squeaked at the slightest movement. They were so close now, so very close, all they had to do was close and lock the cabinet without getting caught and they were out of there. So close.

The door shut with the tiniest of thuds, the lock clicked, and Harry, Malfoy, and Alakazam teleported out of the room.

Harry let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Feeling weak at the knees he straightened from his crouched position only to fall gratefully into one of the desk chairs, his nerves frazzled. Next to him Malfoy looked no better, his face white as he looked down at the bottle in his hands. Harry looked at it too.

"Is that it?"

Malfoy's head snapped towards him.

"Of course it is," he scowled. "I wasn't just taking my pick from Slughorn's collection. This is the poison. I'm sure of it."

Harry leaned forward, curiosity now getting the better of him.

"What sort of poison is it?" He asked, glancing up at Malfoy's face. Malfoy frowned.

"If I gave you a detailed description you would not understand a single word I say," he replied coolly. "Just know that it is dangerous. A demonstration might help."

Malfoy looked over to his Alakazam, the psychic type having been silent throughout, and held up the bottle. A moment later the cork began to wriggle. It almost seemed as though it was trying to escape the bottle and pull itself free, though Harry knew at once that this was Alakazam's doing, and once it came loose the cork floated silently in midair.

Malfoy gestured Harry to an abandoned desk.

"Watch," he instructed and, carefully as he could, he tipped the bottle.

A single drop fell from the opening, Malfoy immediately righting the bottle as it did so, and fell to land upon the wood of the desk. It sizzled loudly.

"See," Malfoy said dully, placing the bottle down carefully on the desk next to where the poison was at work. "Incredibly caustic. See how it eats through wood. Glass is chemically neutral so it doesn't react but we had to place a specially designed film over the base of the cork to stop the poison from eating right through. Just imagine what this would do to someone's stomach."

"I'd rather not," said Harry, looking at the desk. A hole had been burned through, nearly an inch deep. He felt sick.

"So you'll talk to Dumbledore?" Said Malfoy. "He's here. You'll talk to him tonight?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. "I'll talk to him."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading. I had a bit of a tough time writing this chapter but hopefully it hasn't come out too bad.

If you enjoyed please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for more updates.

Until next time.


	22. Dumbledore's Secret

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Half an hour later found Harry striding briskly through the corridors of Hogwarts, his destination of Dumbledore's office firmly in mind. In his hand was clenched the poison filled bottle of oak matured mead.

He'd waited in the abandoned classroom for curfew to fall, not wanting to be spotted by anyone going to Dumbledore's office with a bottle of poison in hand, alone again after Malfoy and Alakazam had teleported away. Now, with the students all safely locked up in their common rooms, he could move freely.

"Harry?"

Harry's heart stopped dead. He froze where he stood.

Ginny stood down the corridor, her features partially obscured by shadow, but even then Harry could make out the slight frown on her face.

"Ginny," Harry replied eventually, trying and failing to keep his voice light. "What are you doing here?"

"I was heading up to the common room," Ginny told him, looking confused. "Why are you asking?" She stepped closer curiously.

"It's after curfew," Harry reminded her, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. "You shouldn't be here."

"Neither should you," Ginny shot back. "What's going on, Harry? Why are you acting so weird? First Malfoy, now this."

"It's nothing," Harry said quickly. Too quickly.

Ginny's eyes narrowed.

"What have you got there?" She asked sharply. Instant panic filled Harry and on instinct he moved to hide the bottle behind him. But it was far too late for that.

"It's nothing," Harry reiterated as Ginny approached, but she wasn't buying it. She snatched the bottle from his grasp.

Lifting it into the light she read the label her eyebrows rose. She looked at him.

"It's not what it looks like," said Harry, feeling his insides squirm under her gaze. "Please, just, forget about it."

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked. She seemed hesitant. "Harry, if you have a problem you know I only want to help. You don't have to stay quiet or feel embarrassed."

Harry flushed.

"I don't have a problem," he murmured, red faced. "I'm fine, trust me. I'm not in trouble or anything, just, please, don't ask about it."

Ginny looked uncertain.

"If you're sure," she said hesitantly. "But you know if you are finding things difficult…"

"I know," Harry said quickly. "Believe me, I know. I haven't forgotten. This isn't like that at all, just, please, don't tell anyone. Okay?"

Slowly Ginny gave a hesitant nod.

Harry sighed. "Thank you," he murmured, feeling the relief flood through him. "Can I…?" He held out a hand expectantly for the bottle.

An internal battle seemed to rage in Ginny's head as her gaze shifted between the bottle and Harry's outstretched hand. Harry held his breath.

Eventually Ginny gave in. She handed the bottle over.

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully, feeling a lot more comfortable now that the poison was back under his control.

He hung around for an awkward moment longer.

"I'll see you later," he said, and he hurried off once more.

Harry was not interrupted at all for the rest of his journey but in the intervening quiet his thoughts rushed into overdrive. Though his body had moved on his head remained stuck back in that hallway with Ginny, and the more he thought about their encounter the more he wished that the ground could just open up and swallow him whole.

Those thoughts, however, vanished as he reached Dumbledore's office door and knocked sharply.

There was no answer.

"Professor," Harry called, knocking again, this time louder. Maybe Dumbledore had already gone to bed. He was old, after all. Or maybe he just hadn't heard him. "Professor, please, I need to talk to you."

A soft glow surrounded the key hole and a moment later the lock clicked open. Harry pushed on the door.

Dumbledore was there after all, seated behind his desk as he so often was, but he was not alone and the other man's presence caused Harry to stop dead the moment he entered the room.

"Potter!" Snape's face was livid, looking intimidating even as he knelt by Dumbledore's side, Dumbledore's diseased mess of a hand resting in his surprisingly tender grip. "What part of a locked door makes you think you have the right to barge in here?"

"I didn't open it," Harry said quickly, the defence coming up automatically. "Someone else undid the lock." As he said these words a look of understanding seemed to pass over Dumbledore face and his gaze fell away from Harry and instead settled off somewhere behind him.

"Chimecho," he said softly, his voice containing just the hint of a reprimand. Harry turned to look.

Dumbledore's Chimecho was floating by the door, her usually smiling face hard as she stared down her trainer. She floated forward, wrapping her ribbon-like tail around Harry's arm in the familiar gesture of affection, and let out a soft cry.

Dumbledore sighed. "If you insist." His eyes turned from Chimecho to Harry, displaying a sadness Harry had not expected, before they fell on Snape, his gaze sharpening as they did so.

"Severus, if you could please continue with your assessment."

Snape scowled, clearly unwilling to continue with Harry in the room. However he seemed to realise, just as Harry had, that Dumbledore had taken Harry's presence into account and had accepted it. This was a fight he wouldn't win.

"The poison continues to be as strong as ever," Snape spoke, his voice crisp and business-like, doing his best to ignore Harry's presence. "Our latest attempts have been far from successful, which does not bode well. My estimate is that you have at most six months, perhaps shorter."

Dumbledore nodded. "Not the best news in the world," he admitted calmly, looking down at his gently stretching fingers. "But it could be worse." Snape's grimace indicated he did not agree.

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said gratefully. "You may return to your quarters. I will not keep you any longer."

Snape nodded sharply. He rose to his feet, gathering up a collection of potion supplies Harry had not noticed lying next to him in his initial inspection of the room, and he strode away, not once glancing to where Harry stood.

The door snapped shut behind him.

Now Dumbledore's eyes were on Harry. He looked tired, the crystal blue not sparkling in the way Harry was used to, and it made his face look that much older.

Dumbledore gestured wordlessly for Harry to take a seat.

"Sir?" Harry asked worriedly, sitting down across from the aged headmaster. "Sir, what's wrong? What was all that about?"

Dumbledore did not answer immediately. It seemed he was taking his time deciding on what to say. Then he sighed.

"I had not wished to have this discussion with you so suddenly, Harry," he said heavily. "In fact, I had not wished to have this discussion at all. I'd rather not burden you the way I myself have been burdened these last six months. But it seems Chimecho has a different point of view." Dumbledore's eyes fell upon the Pokémon, softening. "Although, perhaps, my reasons for keeping quiet are not as selfless as I'd like to believe."

Chimecho peeled herself from Harry's arm, winding round the arm of her trainer instead, and she gave a soft, comforting chime. A small smile crossed Dumbledore's face, though it quickly faded as his attention turned once more to Harry.

"You no doubt remember the cause of my injury," Dumbledore continued, raising his dying fingers for show. "I became just the latest in what is becoming a bit of a line to receive a bite from the Arbok, Nagini. Unfortunately, I am not as young as Arthur Weasley. And despite all of Professor Snape's hard work and expertise it seems now that it is only a matter of time."

"What are you saying?" Said Harry, his voice shaking. "You're not…? You can't be…"

"I'm afraid so, Harry," said Dumbledore heavily. "I am old. My race is run. Old age would claim me eventually but it seems as though Lord Voldemort got there first."

"No," Harry whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "No."

There was silence in the Headmaster's office. Harry could not bare to speak. His brain seemed to jam, unable to process what was happening, and he sat there as though frozen in place. Dumbledore couldn't be dying. He couldn't be.

Dumbledore for his part was watching Harry with a sad look in his eyes and it was the fact that the sadness was for him that drove knives into Harry's chest. He knew what Harry was thinking. He knew what thoughts had risen to the surface of Harry's brain the moment he'd started speaking. All the hope Harry had been holding, hope that had risen throughout each of their lessons over the course of the year, had died.

"How…" he muttered but his voice failed him. He coughed. "How much… how much longer do you…?"

"…have left to live?" Dumbledore finished sadly. Harry swallowed. "Well, you heard Professor Snape's assessment. Six months, providing we find no breakthroughs in the meantime. Just enough time for me to see out the rest of the school year, and to teach you everything that you'll need to know for the fight ahead."

Harry laughed, the sound strangled in his throat. The very idea that he could possibly ever be ready to face Voldemort was ludicrous. It was an uphill battle to begin with, Voldemort was so powerful, but with Dumbledore at his side Harry had hope. He'd believed.

Now…

"I think it's about time we had another lesson," Dumbledore said softly. "Not tonight. It is late and neither of us is in any condition to take in what we must. Tomorrow."

Harry nodded, even as the voices of doubt in his head argued 'What's the point?'.

"Excellent," said Dumbledore, his eyes boring into Harry as if he knew exactly what he was thinking. "In that case meet me in the Entrance Hall at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. We will be taking a bit of a trip."

Harry nodded numbly.

"Okay," he muttered. "Okay. Is there anything I should do before or…?" Dumbledore looked thoughtful.

"Make sure you have some sturdy footwear," he told him. "Other than that… Rest. Get a good night's sleep and try not to think about it. I assure you, no matter how down you may be feeling right now, it will be better tomorrow."

Harry doubted it but he kept quiet all the same. He nodded his head and, recognising the dismissal, rose to his feet.

"Oh, hang on a moment please, Harry," Dumbledore said suddenly, stopping Harry in his tracks. "You had something you wished to speak with me about? You had your reasons for visiting, did you not?"

Harry hesitated, the weight of the bottle in his hand becoming noticeable to him for the first time since he'd stepped into the room. He turned back to Dumbledore's desk and rested the bottle on its surface.

"I just stole this from Professor Slughorn," Harry said dully. "It contains poison. Draco Malfoy gave it to him. Slughorn was supposed to give it to you for Christmas." He paused. "He was also behind the attack on Katie. It was Bellatrix and her Banette that gave her that package and forced her to take it up to the castle. That was meant for you too. Voldemort has told Malfoy to kill you."

Harry's speech was dispassionate, Malfoy's struggles just not seeming as important after what he'd learned, but Dumbledore seemed intrigued, and noticeably taken aback.

"Interesting," he said quietly, peering up at Harry over his rested hands. "You discovered this… well, I can't say I'm entirely surprised. You always have had the knack for knowing things you weren't supposed to."

Harry frowned at his words.

"A knack you happen to share with myself," Dumbledore finished. "I too am aware of Mr Malfoy's task, though I thank you for retrieving this poison. It appears as though I'm not quite as well informed as I thought. Are there any other attempts that you know of, Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "Malfoy told me about the poison," he said and Dumbledore's eyebrows raised in genuine surprise. "He doesn't want to kill you, sir, but he's scared. He came to me to ask for protection. He sees his mother as an innocent, someone who does not deserve her current treatment by the Death Eaters and Voldemort, and he wants a way to keep her safe. He's willing to betray the Death Eaters if we can promise we'll keep his mother safe."

The look of surprise on Dumbledore's face had almost faded by the time Harry finished. Instead he looked thoughtful.

Harry grimaced. "I said I'd pass on the message to you, it's your help he's looking for," he told him. "Obviously things are different now."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed. "They are. But there's no reason to believe that we can't make it work." He looked pensive.

"Sir?" Harry asked. "What will you do?" Dumbledore met his gaze.

"Nothing," he said simply. He looked calm. "Unfortunately Mr Malfoy is stuck in an unenviable position. His mother is out of our reach and so it is quite simply not possible for us to squirrel her away to a safe house somewhere. In truth, the best way to ensure her continued safety and survival, is for her family to regain the Dark Lord's favour."

"I don't understand, sir," said Harry, thinking he must be hearing wrong. "Are you suggesting that Malfoy should kill you?"

"Oh, no," said Dumbledore quickly. "No, I would never do that to the poor boy. However, I am running on borrowed time. And if I were to die before term ended and Draco Malfoy were to happen to be accused… well, who's to say he didn't do it. I trust Mr Malfoy has some sort of plan to bring about my demise? A more substantive plan than this, I mean." He gestured to the poison.

"I think so," Harry told him. Dumbledore nodded.

"Then let him continue," said Dumbledore. "Let him work on his plan and when I die, whenever that may be, I trust it can be arranged to make it look like murder."

"And you think Voldemort will buy that?" Harry wondered.

"If Harry Potter were to blame Draco Malfoy for my death…" Dumbledore smiled. "Why, I'm almost certain." Harry grimaced.

"Go," Dumbledore told him. "Go to bed. We'll talk more tomorrow when we've both had a chance to clear our heads." He nodded to Harry, who recognised it easily as a dismissal and stood up, leaving Dumbledore's office behind him.

The quiet outside seemed to press in on him. For the longest moment he stayed still, standing before Dumbledore's office door in some kind of trance, before, eventually, his feet started moving on their own accord and he began his journey back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"About time, Potter," echoed a voice and a moment later the cold stone corridor outside Dumbledore's office was replaced by an old abandoned classroom, and Draco Malfoy stood before him.

Harry stilled.

"You took your time," Malfoy said coolly, eyeing Harry up. "I was waiting for an age."

Still Harry said nothing.

"You talked to Dumbledore?"

Harry gazed at Malfoy, feeling oddly disconnected. He closed his eyes, the exhaustion stretching over him, and nodded.

There was silence.

"Well?" Malfoy pressed impatiently. "What did Dumbledore say? He'll help me, right?"

"Yeah," Harry said softly, though he knew that the help granted wouldn't be in the way Malfoy was hoping. "He will."

"Fantastic?" Said Malfoy, letting out a huge sigh of relief, a heavy weight seeming to lift from his shoulders. "Well, what did he say? Will he move my mother to a safe house? What does he want me to do?"

"He doesn't want you to do anything," Harry told him. "And your mother will stay where she is."

Malfoy stared at him suspiciously.

Harry bowed his head.

"You are doing something to try and kill Dumbledore, your big plan you've been working on?" He said, glancing up to meet Malfoy's gaze as he stared down at him. "Continue with it. Keep doing what you've been doing."

Malfoy scowled. "This isn't the time for games, Potter," he snapped. "Now tell me what Dumbledore told you. Come on, tell me."

"I told you," Harry told him, his voice rising in frustration, though not at Malfoy. "I told you what he wants you to do. He wants you to continue your plan." He looked away, feeling the pain sear through him all over again.

Malfoy was watching him warily. He did not say a word.

"Your mum's in too deep," Harry said eventually with an exhausted sigh. "There's no way for us to protect her. The only way to keep her safe is for you to gain standing with Voldemort. And to do that you must kill Dumbledore."

Malfoy flinched.

"I can't," he hissed, his voice both pained and angry. "I can't kill Dumbledore. I can't kill anyone. Put a gun in my hand and tell me to shoot and I wouldn't. I wouldn't be able to. There's got to be another way. Surely Dumbledore would not allow himself to die, not for me."

Harry looked at Malfoy and the only thing he could feel was regret. His great rival, the boy who had mocked and ridiculed him for so many years, and who Harry had given just as much back in return, was just the same as he was. They were, although neither would admit it, two boys, more alike than not.

And now they were on the same side.

"You don't have to kill him," Harry said softly and he felt a stab of guilt at the hope he saw flicker in Malfoy's eyes. "There is a way to gain favour and not kill Dumbledore."

"Go on," Malfoy encouraged.

"Dumbledore…" Harry paused. "Dumbledore's plan wouldn't have you kill him. You'd still get favour with Voldemort but you wouldn't kill him."

"What are you talking about?" Malfoy spluttered, bewildered. "Potter, what…?"

"He's dying," Harry said thickly. Malfoy froze. "Dumbledore's dying."

A still silence filled the room.

Malfoy shook his head. "Potter, what are you talking about?" He said in disbelief. "Dumbledore can't die. He's Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore, he's just… He can't die."

"He can," Harry said hollowly and he could feel himself shake at the words. "He's old, Malfoy. So old. And his body can't deal with what it used to. His hand's been infected with Nagini's venom and it won't heal, no matter what he tries. He only has a few months left, and then he'll die."

Malfoy's face was deathly white. He stared at Harry with a look of abject horror, for he could tell that Harry wasn't lying to him.

"It's over," he muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. "The Dark Lord has won. With Dumbledore gone nobody can stand up to him. Who will even try? The Ministry? Please. It's over."

Harry stayed silent. Though it pained him to hear Malfoy speak in such absolutes he could not bring himself to deny him. Like Malfoy he could not see how they were going to get through this.

Malfoy turned to him. "There's got to be a plan," he said, sounding almost desperate. "Dumbledore must have something up his sleeve before he's gone. He can't just leave us. There's got to be something."

Harry clenched his jaw.

"There's me," he said harshly. "And Dumbledore's plans on that are for me to worry about." His expression softened. "Your priority is your family," he told him. "Dumbledore will die sometime in the next six months. When he does you'll take the credit, and I'll back you up on that. That will gain you enough favour to keep your mother safe, at least for a while. In the meantime you have to act like nothing has changed. You have your plan, you have to stick with it." Harry paused. "You do have a plan, don't you?" Looking sick, Malfoy nodded.

"You can't teleport in and out of Hogwarts," Malfoy explained, his voice shaky. "But Dumbledore can. The psychic shield that stops intruders from breaking in was created by his Alakazam so he knows how to bypass it. If I can figure out how he does it then I can bring Death Eaters into the castle. And with enough men… though, not as many as I thought was needed, we can overpower him."

"And you haven't managed to figure it out yet," Harry surmised.

"It's difficult," Malfoy said, slightly defensive. "But I know I'm on the right tracks. Each psychic shield has a base, an anchor point where the shield originates. That base is in this room." Surprised, Harry glanced around. The classroom appeared empty.

"It's not a visible base," Malfoy told him, the slightest touch of a sneer entering his voice. "Only a powerful psychic type Pokémon can be able to sense it." Harry turned his attention to the side of the room.

Malfoy's Alakazam stood there silently, had in fact been there the entire time from the moment he'd teleported Harry into the room.

"So you know where the base is," Harry said, turning back to Malfoy. "Then what do you do? Destroy it?"

"Theoretically that would work," Malfoy admitted. "But the amount of power it would take is beyond any one Pokémon, even Alakazam. However, Alakazam's unique skills can allow it so that he 'tunes in' to the shield itself, allowing him to travel unimpeded, just like Dumbledore's Alakazam can. And once he can do that he can bring people in with him."

Malfoy stared at Harry. "I don't want to bring Death Eaters into Hogwarts," he told him firmly. "I have friends here, and even my enemies do not deserve what the Death Eaters could do. If you're lying about Dumbledore, tell me now."

Harry met his gaze.

"I wish I was lying," he admitted softly. "God, I wish I was lying."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed please leave a Review, I'm feeling rather unwell at the moment so it would mean a lot. Also follow me on Twitter for more updates on this and my other stories.

Until next time.


	23. Meet Thy Maker

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Harry didn't get much sleep that night. No matter what he tried he could not prevent his thoughts from turning to what he'd learned, and as soon as he realised this he gave up on sleep all together and, in the early hours of the morning, headed down to the common room to stare into the empty fireplace as Saturday dawned.

Ron and Hermione didn't press him on the matter. They knew something was wrong, how could they not, but once Harry explained that he'd seen Dumbledore, though he said little else, they realised that this was something he needed time to deal with.

And that's why neither of them questioned him that morning when he got up from the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall and told them he needed to be somewhere. They understood, even if they didn't know, and though preoccupied Harry was grateful.

He found Dumbledore in the Entrance Hall.

"Morning Harry," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?" Harry just gave him a look. Clearly he hadn't, Harry was sure he looked an absolute mess. Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked perfectly well rested and at ease, though there was just a tinge of sadness in his eyes as he looked down on the boy.

"I suppose that was asking a bit too much," he admitted. "However, I hope we can change that. I asked you here for a very important lesson, one, I believe, that will help to bring you some hope." He gestured to the great oak front doors. "After you, Harry."

It was a crisp January morning out on the grounds, Harry shivering in spite of himself, but as usual Dumbledore seemed to be immune. Looking at him now it was hard to believe that he was anything other than perfectly healthy.

"Delightful morning," said Dumbledore, strolling confidently across the grounds. "Sometimes a nice brisk walk on a day like this is just what the doctor ordered, wouldn't you agree, Harry?" Harry nodded but stayed silent, focusing on keeping up with Dumbledore's long strides.

"Hm, I wonder," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, glancing sideways at Harry. "Has Mr Malfoy been in contact since our meeting?" Again Harry nodded. "I imagined he'd be eager to hear from you."

"He jumped me right after I left your office," Harry told him.

"I imagine that must have been difficult," said Dumbledore.

"Yeah." Harry didn't want to discuss this topic any more. He switched it. "Professor, where are we going?"

A mysterious smile played at the corner of Dumbledore's mouth.

"To see an old friend of mine," he answered cryptically. "Come on, follow me." And they stepped into the forest.

The forest was calm. Despite the tough restrictions on just how far you were allowed to venture, dependent on your year group, Harry had very rarely had trouble with any of the wild Pokémon that called the forest home. It just went to show that, for the most part, Pokémon were inherently peaceful creatures.

But Dumbledore was leading Harry far beyond where he'd ever gone before. They passed sign after sign indicating the steadying danger of what lay ahead before eventually they found themselves in an area of the forest only seventh years were allowed to enter, and were faced with one more sign, this one all red.

"The forest truly is an amazing place," Dumbledore said casually as they stood before the sign. "I wish I could say I've seen it all but, alas, the forest is vast and I invariably have some task or other that requires my attention." Dumbledore turned to Harry. "Where we are about to go is strictly off limits. The Pokémon beyond do not mean harm but they are strong, stronger than any student here at the school, so stay alert."

"Why are we going this far into the forest?" Harry asked, even as Dumbledore stepped past the sign and Harry hurried after him. "Surely your friend can't live here."

"But I assure you he does," Dumbledore said with a smile. "And the reason we must find him is so that we can gain access to the information he possesses, information that will be vital to our quest."

Dumbledore did not expand any further and Harry did not ask, instead allowing them to walk in silence deeper and deeper into the forest.

Dumbledore glanced down at him.

"You've been quiet, Harry," he said, though he didn't seem surprised. "I know you've got a lot to take in from our conversation last night but I would rather you spoke to me about it. Tell me, what are you thinking?"

Harry hesitated. There was so much he could say, his mind had been whirring constantly since last night, but when he truly thought about it there was really only one thing that stood out.

"I'm thinking…" he said slowly, eyes focused on the path ahead to avoid Dumbledore's gaze. "It's hopeless, isn't it. You're the only one Voldemort has ever feared. It just… it feels like he's won. The war's over. But we still have to fight."

"You feel like I've abandoned you," Dumbledore said softly. Harry flinched. "You feel like I've left you to deal with a mess not of your making." Dumbledore's tone wasn't accusatory. It was the only reason Harry didn't flat out deny him.

"Sorry," he murmured, and he was. It was selfish to be blaming Dumbledore when the man himself hadn't done anything wrong. Dumbledore had been fighting against Voldemort from the beginning, and fought Grindlewald before that, and he was the one that was dying, not Harry, and he'd never once asked for sympathy. Yet Dumbledore's fate still felt like betrayal.

"You do not need to be sorry, Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "You have been saddled with a responsibility that most grown men would be unable to bare, and I am at least partially to blame. You have no need to apologise."

Harry nodded awkwardly, not for a moment believing the aged Headmaster. But he understood. Dumbledore could understand what Harry was going through better than anyone. With Dumbledore he could be honest.

"Eh," Harry said awkwardly, glancing over at the Headmaster. "I'm sorry, I never asked… How are you doing, sir? You know, with…"

"Dying," he finished calmly. Harry flinched. "I am fine, Harry, thank you for asking. I have long ago accepted that my life would soon come to an end and, while not everything that has happened has necessarily been good, it has certainly been a life worth living. My only regret is that I won't be here to see out this war. I so wish to see peace time again, though now it seems unlikely. Still, I will not give up. For as long as I live and breath, for however long that may be, I will continue to do what I can. And on that note, we are getting close to our destination."

Harry opened his mouth, about to ask once again about what they were doing here, but mid word he found his attention pulled elsewhere. His vision started to fade, the forest around him blurring before suddenly it seemed to reappear once more in sharp focus, though immediately Harry could tell something had changed.

And that was when he realised he was looking right at himself.

Harry stumbled and his vision snapped back to normal in a disorientating flash of colour.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

But Harry ignored Dumbledore's words of concern, for he had a far more pressing matter to deal with. He turned on the spot, staring off into the forest, searching desperately for what he knew must be there, what he could sense was there, but still could not see.

"Harry?" Dumbledore questioned again and this time, more aware, Harry answered.

"This happened before," he stammered, knowing he wasn't making much sense and that he was concerning his Headmaster. "Back last term, when I was battling with Pikachu and…" he stopped short as his eyes fell upon a thick bush, and another pair of eyes stared right back. "There!"

And he was off. The moment the pair of eyes had realised they'd been rumbled the owner of them, the elusive Greninja Harry had come across just last term, bolted and Harry, ignoring Dumbledore's warnings, sprinted after him.

The forest this deep was thick and Harry could not keep track of Greninja with his eyes, but through something else, some sense of knowing and feeling, he could sense Greninja up ahead and went barrelling on after him.

"Pikachu! Go!" Pikachu appeared from his Pokéball and a moment later he was sprinting at Harry's side, looking up at him in bewilderment as together they crashed through the trees.

"It's Greninja!" Harry shouted to him and immediately Pikachu understood. "We've got to catch him!"

It was something of a miracle to Harry that they seemed to be keeping up with the water and dark type Pokémon, by all accounts Greninja should have gotten away easily, but Harry could somehow still sense him up ahead.

In fact, they seemed to be getting closer.

"Ah!" Harry cried. A pulse of water had struck him, knocking him clean off his feet and causing him to collapse in a heap in the roots of a nearby tree. "Pikachu!"

He heard Pikachu's cry, the familiar zap of lightning accompanying it, but there was no sound of it connecting. Harry's vision cleared, just in time to see Greninja close in. Clutched in his webbed hands were what looked like blades, and though Pikachu agilely dodged the first the second sent him crashing through the undergrowth.

"Pikachu!" Harry cried, scrambling haphazardly to his feet as immediately Greninja turned his attention towards him. "Umbreon! Go!"

The dark type Pokémon appeared before Harry and immediately Harry could see Greninja's attention switch from him to the Pokémon. Two blades glowed bright.

"Shadow Ball!"

The ghost type attack shot forward, closing the distance between the two Pokémon in a second, giving Greninja no room to dodge. Instead he crossed his arms, blades ready, and shot forward to meet it.

The Shadow Ball attack splashed harmlessly against him.

Harry gaped.

"Quick, Umbreon! Protect!" The shield sprang into being just in time to take the tremendous blow from Greninja, Umbreon staggering under the pressure, but his shield held firm.

Not to be defeated Greninja struck again and again, hammering away at Umbreon's shield as the pure dark type struggled to keep it up.

Then, suddenly, Greninja froze. A pinkish hew surrounded his figure, lifting him ever so slightly into the air and away from Umbreon, whose shield, battered and bruised, finally disintegrated.

"Fascinating."

Albus Dumbledore had found them, strolling into sight with a calm completely at odds with the pitched battle that had just taken place. Behind him followed Alakazam, eyes glowing as he held the Greninja in place.

"Professor?" Harry spluttered, staggering to his feet to where Umbreon stood, shaky but unharmed. From the foliage Pikachu made a reappearance, finally able to crawl back after Greninja's blow, gingerly climbing onto his shoulder to rest.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Dumbledore asked calmly, eyes scanning over him and the two Pokémon at his side.

"Yes, I'm fine," Harry told him. A little shaken up but not hurt. "Professor, I don't understand. I thought Greninja was a dark type Pokémon. Water and dark. How's Alakazam… and Umbreon's Shadow Ball…"

Dumbledore smiled. "As I said; fascinating," he repeated. His eyes turned curiously to Greninja. "Usually you would be correct, Greninja are water and dark type Pokémon," he said. "But this appears to be a very special Greninja. You see, Greninja has the ability Protean, which changes Greninja's typing to match the move it is using. Since he was using a normal type move, Cut, I believe, he was, and still is, temporarily a normal type Pokémon, making ghost type attacks ineffective and removing his immunity to psychic attacks. A bit of a double edged sword, if you will."

"Does this have anything to do with the connection between us?" Harry asked. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.

"I'm afraid you'll have to expand on that, Harry," Dumbledore told him. "I don't know your history with this Greninja."

"We've met before," Harry explained. "We battled. Then there was this explosion from the attacks and there was smoke everywhere and I couldn't see. That's when it happened, I started to see through his eyes." He looked at Greninja, still held in Alakazam's power. "It happened again when we were walking. That's why I tripped. That's why I went after him."

Dumbledore was quiet as Harry finished his story, watching him with interest, while Harry kept his eyes fixed on Greninja. Looking into his eyes he found he could almost sense what he was thinking, even though his expression was unreadable. Greninja was curious too.

"Interesting," Dumbledore said softly, drawing Harry's attention. "A phenomenon like that is almost unheard of, but then so too is a Greninja with Protean. It is very rare, classified as a hidden ability. Maybe the two are connected. Fascinating."

"Indeed," rumbled a new voice. It was rich, and deep, and seemed to sound inside Harry's head, even though he could sense that it was coming from beyond the trees. He turned sharply to where the voice originated, and his mouth fell open.

The being that stepped towards them was magnificent. Walking on four legs, skin of the purest white, the Pokémon stood tall over all those in the clearing, surveying them with a regal stare.

"Arceus," Dumbledore greeted with a smile, receiving the smallest of nods in return.

Harry stood agape.

"You were late," the deep voice of the god of Pokémon rumbled, managing to make Harry feel very small. "Aware of the importance of the meeting I came here to find you. I see you were sidetracked." Arceus inclined his head towards where Greninja hung in the air, still trapped in Alakazam's power. "Would you be so kind to release him."

Greninja dropped to the ground immediately and a moment later he was gone, disappearing through the trees and out of sight. Harry looked after him in disappointment.

"You'll meet again," spoke Arceus and Harry snapped to attention. "Fate brought you together, it will continue to do so. The two of you have a shared destiny, a destiny that will be fulfilled. But first you must wait." Arceus turned to Dumbledore. "Shall we convene at my dwelling."

"Lead the way," Dumbledore instructed and Arceus did.

The Pokémon of legend guided them through the forest, almost seeming to glide over the roots and leaves that coated the forest floor. Harry could do nothing more than follow in awe, Umbreon and Pikachu at his side.

Harry had a fair amount of experience with rare and powerful Pokémon but the sheer presence of Arceus, the way the Pokémon seemed to engulf the senses, was something Harry hadn't experienced since his very first year at Hogwarts, during his encounter with the bringer of life, Xerneas.

Arceus led them to a small grove, the earth rising to form a natural barrier to shelter the area on three sides, and turned back to face the following party. Harry came to a stop, standing slightly behind an ever calm Dumbledore, and waited for someone to speak.

It was Dumbledore who broke the silence.

"Well, now that we're here, let's begin." He turned to Harry. "I trust you know about Arceus?" Harry nodded.

"We talked about the Arceus Plates," Harry reminded him. "After Hagrid showed me the Ice Cave."

"Ah, I remember now," Dumbledore said calmly. "So then you are fully aware that there are seventeen plates, each plate holding the essence of a single Pokémon type." Harry nodded.

"You've seen the Icicle Plate already, and I'm sure Hagrid has plans to show you others throughout the grounds," Dumbledore told him.

"He already has," Harry interrupted. Dumbledore nodded.

"But not all the Arceus Plates reside at Hogwarts," finished Dumbledore. "And it is those that are of the utmost importance." Dumbledore turned expectantly to Arceus. Harry did too.

Arceus was silent for a moment, looking down at Harry with a piercing gaze. It was almost as though it were taking a breath - except Arceus had no need to since it did not speak aloud - as the Pokémon prepared to tell its story.

"Many years ago," Arceus began, deep voice filling Harry's head. "My Plates were scattered out across the Pokémon world. Where I left each Plate bloomed an environment perfect for Pokémon of that type. So, I was generous. Even though it is in my interests to hold the Plates close I let them free for Pokémon to prosper."

A tinge of sadness settled on its tone.

"A few years ago," Arceus continued, as though hearing Harry waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I sensed a change in my connection to the Plates. For reasons I could not understand I could not feel certain Plates as clearly as before. I got scared. I went out to find what had gone wrong, why my Plates refused me, but when I reached the site I had left my electric Plate, the Zap Plate, I found it gone. It had been stolen, and it was not the only one. I gathered up the remaining Plates and brought them here, to the safety of Hogwarts."

"And what about the other Plates?" Harry asked, looking on as Arceus bowed his head in sorrow. "Do you know who took them? What happened?"

From his side Dumbledore let out a sigh.

"Unfortunately," he said, sounding tired. "We cannot know for sure the answer to those questions. We do, however, have some theories. I'm sure you can hazard a guess as to who is responsible."

"Voldemort," Harry said with confidence. Dumbledore nodded.

"After Tom Riddle graduated Hogwarts he surprised everyone, myself included, by ignoring the many job offers he was receiving in favour of travelling the world," Dumbledore told him. "No one knows exactly what he did in those years but once he returned he had once and for all dropped his father's name and taken up the moniker of Lord Voldemort. It was also around this time that Arceus sought my help."

This prompted Arceus to take over.

"I had just succeeded in gathering up the remaining Plates," it told Harry. "Scared, I sought safety at Hogwarts. Albus is well known, even among Pokémon, and I knew if any human could come to my aid it would be him."

"I was honoured to receive such a request for help," said Dumbledore. "But I have to admit progress on finding the culprit was slow. Having recently been appointed Headmaster I had a lot of sway and many sources, but no one looked likely to have stolen the Plates. That was until I came face to face with Tom Riddle once more."

"He had changed," Dumbledore told him. "You could see it instantly in the way that he moved, in the paleness of his skin. And those eyes. It wasn't natural. He had done things no one else would dare. That alone aroused my suspicion. What cemented it, what silenced my doubts, was Tom's reason for meeting with me. He wished to take on the position of Pokémon Battling Professor."

"What?" Harry gasped. "He wanted to teach? Why?"

"I can only guess," Dumbledore told him. "But I suspect he caught wind of the fact that I was asking around about the Arceus Plates and came to the conclusion, correctly in this case, that Arceus, and the remaining Plates, were here at Hogwarts."

"So you think he wanted the rest of the Plates," Harry concluded, seeing Dumbledore nod in agreement. "But why did he need them? What can the Arceus Plates be used for?"

"The Arceus Plates are infused with the power of Arceus itself," Dumbledore told him. "In a general sense they can be used to increase the power of Pokémon attacks of the same type, giving the holder of the Plate an advantage. However, I believe Tom had a much grander goal in mind."

"My Plates have been tainted," Arceus spoke up. The Pokémon sounded angry. "Even now I can still feel them, submerged in darkness. The boy has sullied them."

"The Arceus Plates are the stuff of mystery," said Dumbledore. "The power they contain is for the most part unknown. What is commonly accepted is that they are intimately connected to Arceus and that they exist so long as Arceus does. And many believe that Arceus cannot die."

"Is that true?" Harry asked, turning to Arceus. "Can you die?"

Arceus shifted.

"I do not know," Arceus said, voice surprisingly soft. "I am the only one of my kind and I have not died. Whether that means I cannot die, that remains a mystery."

"Not that it matters," Dumbledore intervened. "For what is known, if only to us, is that the connection between Arceus and the Plates exists. For as long as Arceus lives the Arceus Plates remain. A fact which Tom Riddle has been able to exploit."

Dumbledore sighed. "You have probably wondered for a long time now just how Voldemort survived the night he attacked your family, Harry. I believe I always explained it away as some sort of experiment Voldemort used to survive. Well, now you know what I mean."

"You mean he used the Arceus Plates," said Harry. "How?"

"By imbuing his essence within them," Dumbledore answered. "By siphoning off parts of his very being and anchoring them to something he knows will always remain in the realm of the living. My theory, and I believe it to be correct, is that Voldemort's spirit cannot pass until his essence is removed from each and every Arceus Plate. Until the Plates are cleansed Voldemort can come back again, and again, and again."

"And the Plates can be cleansed?" Harry said hurriedly, his voice rising slightly in panic. "You know how to do that?" Dumbledore turned to Arceus.

"If you bring them to me I can cleanse them of the boy's presence," Arceus told him. "But that is all I can do. My Plates are part of me. With his presence in the Plates I cannot go against him directly, for it means going against myself. If we were to meet I'd be powerless. If he were to spread his essence to all remaining Plates I'd be lost to his control."

"And it should be noted," Dumbledore added solemnly, "if that were the case Voldemort would be, effectively, immortal. Only Arceus can cleanse the Plates. With Arceus under Voldemort's control the only way to kill him would be to kill Arceus, if that is even possible."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please remember to Review and follow me on Twitter for further updates.


	24. Valentine's Day

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Meeting Arceus in the depths of the forest was an eye opening experience for Harry. To meet a literal god of Pokémon, and Arceus certainly lived up to that title, was incredible. And the idea that Arceus could fall under the power of Lord Voldemort was beyond terrifying.

Harry told Ron and Hermione everything as soon as he had the chance. As Harry told the story of how Dumbledore had led him into the forest and how they had come across the legendary Pokémon the two of them were suitably shocked and impressed, and like Harry worried over the possibility that Voldemort could become immortal.

But they weren't overly concerned. In fact, the very notion of having the god of Pokémon on their side seemed to comfort them, and it was Ron who said with utmost certainty that there was no way Dumbledore would ever let Voldemort anywhere near Arceus.

Despite knowing he should Harry could not bring himself to tell them of Dumbledore's fate.

But even so, Harry's mood improved dramatically over the weeks that followed. For the first time in what felt like years he had a purpose. There was a clear path set before him now, the Arceus Plates needing to be found and returned to their creator, and while it would undeniably be incredibly difficult - Dumbledore was yet to find any - at least he knew what he had to do.

And as the weeks wore on, January turning into February, Harry allowed himself to forget for a moment the monumental task that lay ahead of him and focus instead on challenges closer to home.

Harry's relationship with Ginny, after their awkward encounters at the start of term, had returned to normal. Ginny had clearly been worried, and Harry had to admit his secrecy wasn't helping matters, but after seeing Harry's general good humour as time passed she seemed to decide that whatever it was that had been bothering him was alright now.

But everything wasn't alright. And as time passed it frustrated Harry more and more.

While Harry enjoyed Ginny's company their current status quo as simply good friends was not good enough. He had promised himself he would talk to her once they were out from under Mr and Mrs Weasley's roof, promised he would admit his feelings, but after everything that had happened in that first week back at Hogwarts anything else had just been pushed to the side and forgotten about. Harry didn't want to forget. He wanted to act.

And what better day to do so than Valentine's Day.

The now traditional Valentine's Day battle competition was announced to have restarted this year, Umbridge having canceled it the year previously, and Harry was ecstatic. Not only would this be his first time competing in the competition since third year, and he so loved to battle, he also couldn't quite shake the thought of what it would be like to win. He pictured himself, standing triumphant as champion, his friends and classmates cheering all around him, and Ginny, staring up at him with a blazing look in her eyes.

And it was at that moment that he made his decision. This day, Valentine's Day, would be the day he tells Ginny how he feels. And if he had to win the battle competition to win her over then that's just what he'd do.

And so Harry could hardly wait as dinner finished and they were escorted from the Great Hall.

"Geez, Harry. Relax," said Ron, looking both confused and amused. "Seriously, what's got into you?" Harry, of course, wasn't going to tell him the truth.

"I just want to get started," he told him. "I haven't battled in ages, and I missed the last two battle competitions." A flash of red caught his eye, but it turned out to be just Susan Bones. Harry let out a shaky breath.

Fortunately Ron didn't notice.

"Oh yeah, you did, didn't you," he said instead, scratching his head thoughtfully. "Forgot about that. So you haven't competed since second and third year?" He let out a low whistle.

"I imagine the experience will be very different from what it was like back then," Hermione spoke up. Like everyone else she looked excited. "We're sixth years now, there aren't many students more experienced than us."

"I bet McLaggen will be in the tournament," scowled Ron, hands curling reflexively into fists as he gazed furtively out into the crowd. "Damn macho jerk. Oh, how I want to be the one to knock him out. It will serve him right for trying to take my place on the Quidditch team." Ron could clearly hold a grudge.

"Machoke will be perfect for his Rhyperior," he continued, his tone turning from vengeful to thoughtfully as he did so. "I was actually hoping to use him more, I think he's close to evolving, but I might just save him, just in case."

At that moment Professor Flitwick appeared in the doorway to the Great Hall.

"Everyone inside," he instructed in his excitable little voice. "First matchups are on the board. Quickly now, let's get this started." And he hurried back inside, the students surging after him.

The draw for the battle competition was, despite claims otherwise, not completely random. After all, it would be unfair to pair a first year up against a seventh year in the first battle. Harry himself, in his limited experience, had never battled anyone more than a couple years above or below him.

It seemed that would remain the case this year as they stood near the back of the crowd and Ron, taller than nearly everyone else, squinted towards the board.

"I think I'm battling Seamus," he muttered, his eyes strained. "I can't see your name, Hermione… oh, no, wait, there it is. You're battling Terry Boot."

"I see him over there," Hermione noted, glancing over to one of the battlefields where the dark haired Ravenclaw boy was already standing. "He looks ready. I guess we'll be in the first lot of battles."

"Looks like it," Ron muttered. "Good luck," he told her.

"You too," said Hermione and she slipped off through the crowd, making a beeline for Terry.

Harry nudged Ron in the ribs.

"Wha'?" Ron muttered distractedly, tearing his eyes away from Hermione's departing figure. Harry declined to comment.

"Who am I battling?" He asked instead, jerking his head towards the board. Ron turned to look.

"Tommy… Heston?" He said, glancing over to Harry with a frown. "Heard of him?" Harry shook his head.

"Ah well," said Ron with a shrug of the shoulders. "You'll find out eventually, I guess. Anyway, I'm going to find Seamus. See you later." And he left.

Harry, meanwhile, remained in the crowd. It was thinning, slowly but surely, as students began to depart, searching to find their opponents, while Harry waited until he could read the board himself. He may not know what Tommy Heston looked like but there was a chance that he was due to be in the first round of battles, and if that were the case he could wait on the battlefield for Heston to find him.

As it happened Harry wouldn't have to wait that long as, with the crowd thinning so much that Harry could now clearly read the board, he got his first look at his opponent.

A small group of Hufflepuffs, shorter than Harry and definitely younger, were standing at the very front of the now barebones crowd, and as Harry drew closer one of them, a girl with blonde pigtails, gasped.

"Tommy, look," she said, pointing up at the board. "Look who you're battling. _Harry Potter_." The boy next to her paled.

Harry stepped forward.

"Tommy Heston?" He asked, looking to the pale faced boy who seemed to grow even more starstruck as he noticed him. "I'm Harry Potter."

Tommy was so pale he looked just about ready to pass out, and he shook Harry's hand more out of muscle memory than anything else. "Hi," he whispered.

Harry glanced away. "Should we go?" He suggested, gesturing towards the battlefield they had been assigned. They were battling first. Most of the other pairs were ready.

Tommy simply nodded.

Needless to say that once the battles started Tommy was one of the first to be defeated. The mismatch between the trainers was instantly obvious, the Hufflepuff boy too nervous to give his Pokémon anything more than the most basic commands, and despite being at a type disadvantage Pikachu was soon able to deliver a finishing blow to Tommy's Nosepass to send it crashing into the ground flat on its back, thoroughly defeated.

With his battle over Harry shook his opponent's hand before he left and began to wander around the hall. Hermione was battling at the far end, her Noctowl visible in the air, but Ron was situated on a battlefield much closer, and his Pidgeot and Seamus's Infernape were locked in a ferocious contest.

As Harry approached he found this battle in particular was attracting quite a bit of attention, understandably so, and one of those watching, arms crossed with her back leant against the wall, was Ginny.

"Finished already?" She smirked as he approached. "Who was your victim?"

Harry shrugged. "Some Hufflepuff kid named Tommy Heston," he told her, looking over for any hint of recognition. "Know him?" Ginny shook her head.

"Not my year," she told him.

"He did look young," Harry admitted. "Nervous too." He leaned back against the wall beside her. "Have you battled yet?" He asked. "Or are you still waiting?"

Due to there being so many competitors the first round of matches included rotating battles; each time a battle finished the next battle went on in its place. On Harry's battlefield Demelza Robins and Anthony Goldstein had already moved in to place.

"I beat Colin," Ginny told him. That made sense. Colin was incredibly enthusiastic but, at the end of the day, not a particularly great battler.

"Who'd you use?" Harry asked, mentally going through the Pokémon he knew Colin had and thinking of Ginny's matchup. "Ninetales?" Three of Colin's four Pokémon were weak to fire type attacks.

"No, I used Meganium," Ginny admitted lightly. "It seemed a bit unfair to use Ninetales since she's so good against his team." Ginny glanced at him. "Besides, I'm playing the long game," she said. "Best to keep Ninetales fresh for later battles. She walls Charizard." Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Are you challenging me?" He asked, softly amused. Ginny grinned.

"I came here to win," she told him. "And I know you did too. So, if I meet you on my way to the final I'll just have to beat you. If you make it that far, of course." She smirked.

"Fighting talk," Harry noted, feeling himself grin in response. "Hope you're ready to back it up." He held out a hand. "Let the best trainer win."

Ginny grinned and grasped it firmly.

In that moment time seemed to stop, everything around them seemed to quiet, as Harry met Ginny's gaze, her hand held in his. Harry's plan, to win it all and confess his feelings, suddenly flew from his mind as he gazed at her. His heart thudded in his chest.

He opened his mouth.

"Watch out!"

Harry ducked on instinct, hitting the ground hard as Seamus's Infernape went flying through the air over his head, slamming into the wall where Harry had just been standing and falling in a tangle of limbs on top of him.

"Sorry," Ron called, jogging over to him and grinning at his predicament. Behind him Pig hovered in the air. "Hurricane's a bitch."

* * *

As the battles continued the victorious few were left to wait. Hermione, having beaten Terry Boot, quickly joined their group, which soon expanded to include Neville, Dean, and even some of those who were defeated, like Seamus and Colin.

During this time, as the battles continued to rumble on, Harry sat moodily apart from the group, rubbing the back of his head and periodically glaring over at a sheepish looking Ron, with Ginny, sitting next to him, trying her best not to laugh at his misfortune.

If only she knew what Ron had interrupted.

Eventually the first round was complete, half the trainers knocked out of the competition while the remaining battlers, sixteen in total, were put into the draw for the second round. And, in a change from the first round, the battles were divided into two sets of four to be played out at the same time.

Harry, matched up against a seventh year Ravenclaw, was in the first set. Ron and Hermione were in the second.

As Harry got into position he glanced to his left. Ginny stood there, facing off against her own challenger, and Harry couldn't help but worry that he might have missed his chance. With the unpredictability of the tournament, would he get another one?

Harry's opponent, a boy by the name of Jason, chose a Gothitelle to try and take him on, which was unfortunate for him as Harry had made the decision to take the calculated risk of giving Umbreon his first real battle.

Gothitelle was no doubt a strong Pokémon, much stronger than Nosepass had been in the previous round, but it quickly became apparent that the psychic type could not deal with dark type opponents. Gothitelle struggled, only a few ghost and dark type attacks available to actually hit Umbreon with, and with these attacks mostly ineffective it was only a matter of time before Gothitelle fell.

And it did, although not for a while, and it was the last of the four battles in Harry's set to end. Shaking hands with his opponent Harry stepped away from his battlefield, wishing both Hermione and Ron good luck as they passed him, and looked to find someone to watch the battles with.

His eyes found Ginny once more and for a moment his hopes rose at the thought of speaking with her. He started towards her without conscious thought.

But unfortunately she was not alone. Colin was by her side.

"That was a brilliant battle, Harry," Colin said excitedly as he approached, drawing Ginny's attention to him too. "Absolutely incredible."

"Thanks Colin," Harry said, somewhat sheepish under the younger boy's over the top praise as he did his best to hide his disappointment at seeing him standing there. After all, it wasn't Colin's fault.

But he was pleased too. Umbreon's first battle had been a resounding success and Harry couldn't help but feel proud of the little Pokémon he had watched grow so much over the past year.

He turned to Ginny. "How did you do?"

Ginny grinned. "Oh, I won, of course," she told him. "Remember, I'm here to win the whole thing." She certainly seemed confident enough, her grin challenging as if daring him to say otherwise, and Harry felt himself want to, the familiar spark alighting as it had when Ginny had first laid down the gauntlet.

But with Colin there he stopped himself. He turned to the battles.

The last four matches of the round were already underway, and it was something of a challenge to decide where to look. These eight trainers featured many of the best battlers Hogwarts had to offer and on every battlefield there was something worth watching. Blaise Zabini and Anthony Goldstein were on Harry's old battlefield while Draco Malfoy faced off against Dean, Hermione battled against Pansy Parkinson, and, in what Harry thought of as the best of all four battles, Ron battled Neville.

"Arcanine, Flare Blitz!"

Battle already in full flow Arcanine charged forward, surrounded by fire as he slammed into Neville's bulky Venusaur with full force. Venusaur groaned, the power of the attack pushing him back, but he dug in his heels, stopping the Arcanine in his tracks.

"Vine Whip!" Neville cried and Venusaur lashed out, sending Arcanine reeling back and skipping gingerly on his feet, wary of the thick vines that continued to reach out and snap dangerously towards him. "Petal Dance!"

The blast of petals caught Arcanine off guard and he flinched violently as the attack crashed into him, threatening to blow him away as he hunkered down against it.

"Stay strong, Arcanine!" Ron shouted. Arcanine dug in. "Use Flamethrower!"

Claws digging into the ancient stone floor flames built up in Arcanine's jaws, head bent to protect against Venusaur's attack, before he turned and unleashed the fire in the direction of his opponent. The flames countered the blizzard of petals, burning them up with ease, and the blast of fire continued on through, striking Venusaur with a passing blow as Arcanine completely overpowered his opponent.

"Extreme Speed!"

Arcanine shot off, disappearing in a blur of movement before he reappeared once more a moment later across the battlefield, crashing into Venusaur with force. Stumbling, Venusaur tried to lash out again, but this time Arcanine had wised up to his plan and had already retreated, Venusaur's vines finding nothing but air and the solid stone floor as Arcanine leapt aside.

"Fire Blast!" Twisting in midair Arcanine let out a blast of fire that burned down on Venusaur, raising the temperature throughout the entirety of the Great Hall. It formed into a five pointed star as it flew down towards where Venusaur stood, an easy, unmovable target.

"Seed Bomb, Venusaur!"

The balls of seeds crashed into the attack like cannon balls and the hungry fire engulfed them with glee, wrapping around the offering and forming a huge fireball burning in midair.

It exploded.

"Use Bulldoze, Venusaur!" With the cover of the smoke from the tremendous blast Venusaur was barely visible as he rose up onto his hind legs and hammered his full body weight into the ground, sending out powerful shockwaves across the battlefield which sent the unsuspecting Arcanine staggering.

"Now, Frenzy Plant!"

Roots sprouted up from the ground as if from nowhere. They rose up high, breaking through the smoke and blowing it aside, towering over everyone and turning ominously down towards where Arcanine stood.

"Look out, Arcanine!" Ron yelled and the roots plummeted towards earth. Arcanine made a run for it, dodging frantically left and right as the roots thundered down relentlessly, crashing into the ground with immense power as the area around Arcanine became more and more damaged and the fiery dog Pokémon started to disappear from view within the forest of vines.

The last of the roots struck earth, Arcanine now nowhere to be seen, and the whole hall held their breath.

"Arcanine, Flare Blitz!" Ron shouted, his voice triumphant as his starter Pokémon burst from the debris, scratched and dirty but still very much conscious. He bounded forward with renewed energy, his body becoming surrounded by fire, and he crashed into Venusaur with tremendous force.

As had happened before Venusaur lashed out, but this time Ron was ready. "Fire Fang!"

Turning to meet Venusaur's attack Arcanine opened his mouth wide and caught a thick, swinging vine in his teeth. As he bit down, hard, establishing his grip as he stood his ground, fire burst from his mouth.

Venusaur roared in pain, his resistance finally broken from the continued attacks he had so heroically taken. He pulled desperately, trying to free himself from Arcanine's grip, trying desperately to get himself away from the terrible pain of the fire burning his body.

But Arcanine held on. Digging in his heels he gave a tremendous yank on the vine in his mouth, dragging the enormous Venusaur forward and off balance, and with an almighty heave, pulling backwards with all his strength, he sent the behemoth tumbling through the air.

"Fire Blast!"

Venusaur could not protect himself this time. Without even the strength to pull himself back onto his feet he was helpless as an exhausted Arcanine mustered up all the energy he had left, taking a huge breath, before blasting out his final attack.

It was easily the best battle so far.

"Good battle," said Ron, shaking Neville's hand now that the battle was over as Harry, Ginny and Hermione, who had joined them after her defeat of Pansy Parkinson, approached them. "You gave us a real workout. I'm not sure I'd've won without type advantage."

"I was worried you'd use Arcanine," Neville admitted with regret. "But I thought you'd save him for your last battle. He's your strongest Pokemon."

"Yeah, I hear you," Ron said with a grin. "I was thinking about that but I knew I'd have to bring my best if I wanted to beat you, Neville. You're one of the best battlers in the school."

Neville flushed. "Thanks Ron," he said. "And good luck all of you in the next round. Unless Dean was able to beat Malfoy you lot are the only Gryffindors left. Win this for us, yeah."

"You've got it," said Ron.

"We'll do our best," said Hermione.

"It's in the bag," said Ginny.

Harry's eyes hovered over her, watching slightly longer than strictly necessary, before he turned away, facing Neville.

"Just watch," he told him.

* * *

 **A/N:** That's it for another chapter. Thanks for reading.

I'm sure some of you are probably a bit disappointed that I didn't go into detail with Harry's battles in this chapter but I promise there will be plenty of that to come later. The next few chapters will be all about the tournament and I didn't want to run the risk of having too many battles such that you'll just get tired of them. There will be plenty of battles to come and hopefully leaving you with Ron v Neville will be enough to keep you going until the next chapter.

If you've enjoyed this please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for updates on this and my other stories.

Until next time.


	25. Valentine's Day: Elite Eight

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

There was a short break as the last of the battles of the second round came to an end. With only eight trainers remaining there needed to be some time allowed for each of them to catch their breath and prepare for their next battle.

For the quarter finals there was only going to be two matches going on at a time, making it easier for the spectators, of which there were still many, to watch as many battles as possible.

As Professor Flitwick started making the draw for the next round Harry felt his anticipation rise. There were only a few battles left now before the end of the tournament and even if Harry wasn't matched up against Ron, Hermione or Ginny the other competitors, Malfoy, Daphne, Blaise Zabini, and Ernie McMillan, were all incredibly tough trainers to face.

Even so Harry found himself breathing a sigh of relief as his name, the very first to be drawn, was paired up with Ernie. This was the ideal draw, in Harry's mind, for while Ernie was undoubtedly strong Harry knew with a hundred percent certainty that he could beat him.

And from the looks of it Ernie was thinking the same thing. The normally confident boy was shifting nervously as he stood across the battlefield, the two trainers waiting for Professor Flitwick's signal to start. Harry could practically read the boy's thoughts as they flitted across his face and knowing Ernie's doubts just made Harry even more confident in himself.

"Everyone ready?" Flitwick asked, rushing forward to the space between the two battlefields. "On the count of three select your Pokémon. One, two, three." Each of the four trainers threw their Pokéballs.

Talonflame appeared before Harry with a confident cry, ready for battle. It hadn't been a difficult decision for Harry to make. He knew Ernie's Pokémon, knew their strengths and weaknesses, and with wanting to save Charizard for later Talonflame was his best bet.

On the other side of the field stood Ernie's Sceptile, which slightly surprised Harry, but only slightly. While Sceptile had an enormous disadvantage it was Ernie's strongest Pokémon. He was bringing out his best to beat Harry.

Between the battlefields Flitwick piped up. "Everyone ready? Begin."

"Sceptile, use Leaf Storm!" Ernie was not messing around. Immediately a barrage of leaves flew towards where Talonflame hovered.

"Dodge them, Talonflame!" Harry instructed, watching as Talonflame swooped calmly out of the way, just like he had done so many times before on the Quidditch Pitch. "Now Flame Charge!"

Talonflame flew down at Sceptile.

"Sceptile, use Rock Slide!" Sceptile crouched down on all fours as Talonflame approached. As it did so rocks began to form in midair, crowding out the ceiling of the hall above them before they began to fall heavily across Talonflame's path.

"Dodge, Talonflame!" Harry cried, knowing a single hit could deal out a lot of damage.

But he needn't have worried. Talonflame flew through the falling rocks with ease, weaving and ducking and soaring through unharmed as he closed in on where Sceptile stood.

"Detect!"

Just when it seemed inevitable that Talonflame's attack would connect the world suddenly shifted. Talonflame, surprised, suddenly found himself missing his target, soaring inches from where Sceptile stood, and for a moment he became incredibly vulnerable.

"Pound!"

Sceptile's tail whipped round as if from nowhere and caught Talonflame full in the face, halting his momentum and sending him tumbling wildly through the air, only just able to scrabble to remain airborne.

"Quick Attack, Sceptile!"

"Agility!" Harry cried urgently, knowing he could not let Ernie press his advantage. With Talonflame vulnerable Sceptile was already in motion.

But Talonflame's Quidditch experience pulled through. Showing almost a sixth sense for where Sceptile would appear Talonflame shot off, dodging Sceptile's powerful swipes by inches as he soared upwards, safely into the air.

"Sceptile, use Rock Slide again!" Ernie called immediately and Sceptile responded, the rock formation building above Talonflame's head and beginning to crash downwards.

That gave Harry an idea.

"Talonflame, go straight up!" He shouted, pointing Talonflame all the way up into the rafters above. Talonflame shot off immediately, weaving expertly through the falling rocks until he found himself fluttering high above them, obscured from those still standing down on the ground below. "Now Roost!"

Out of sight Talonflame landed. Out of sight he remained.

"Where is he?!" Ernie cursed, eyes scanning the beams in the roof above, trying to make out Talonflame's figure hidden in darkness. "Sceptile, you have to find him. Use Sunny Day!"

Harry could not believe his luck. Even as Sceptile flung the glowing orb into the air, shining blinding sunlight onto the battlefield below and throughout the rafters above, illuminating Talonflame's hiding place, Harry knew that Talonflame had had all the rest he needed. And with the new weather over the battlefield his attacks would be twice as deadly.

"Talonflame, Flame Charge!" Harry called and immediately Talonflame hopped down from his resting place, swooping down from the rafters with his body covered in flames as he charged in towards Sceptile.

"Sceptile, Solar Beam!" The blast of energy formed immediately, powered up by the false sun hanging in the air, and it shot off towards Talonflame with deadly power.

"Acrobatics!" Talonflame swooped out of the path of the attack, switching directions sharply as he honed in on Sceptile, who could do nothing more than watch as Talonflame moved in close and collided, hard.

"Now Fire Blast!" Harry shouted, pressing his advantage.

"Dodge it, Sceptile!" Ernie cried desperately. It was immensely clear that any direct hit would be the end of the battle.

Sceptile staggered to its feet, throwing itself aside on instinct in a way most Pokémon would never have the athleticism to achieve, as the flames of Talonflame's attack burned past it.

But Sceptile did not escape unharmed. A glancing blow against its leg burned hotly and Sceptile cried out in agony, eyes screwed shut against the pain as it rolled across the ground to land in a crouch, nursing its burning appendage delicately.

Harry took advantage.

"Flame Charge!" He shouted and Talonflame flew in towards the grass Pokémon who quite simply could not bring itself to dodge.

"Detect!" Cried Ernie and Talonflame swooped past.

"Brave Bird!" Undeterred Talonflame came flying in yet again and this time there was no avoiding his attack. Talonflame crashed into Sceptile with tremendous force, sending the grass type Pokémon flying across the battlefield to land sprawled out on its back, gasping for breath.

The order to use Fire Blast was on the tip of Harry's tongue but Harry stopped himself as he realised that there was no need. Sceptile was out for the count.

* * *

"Congratulations!"

Ron was the first person to reach him once the battle was over, clapping him on the shoulder with a grin as a downtrodden Ernie returned to his Hufflepuff supporters. "Into the semifinals. Great work."

"Thanks," said Harry, holding out his arm where Talonflame had perched himself, gently stroking the fire bird's rather warm plumage as the false sun above them finally began to fade.

"We got a bit lucky," Harry admitted, eyes on his Pokémon as he tended to him. "I knew Talonflame could win but it was a lot easier once Sceptile had used Sunny Day."

Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that was a right cock up."

A loud bang sounded from the remaining match, causing Harry and Ron to turn to watch.

Hermione was in battle.

"Come on, Hermione!" Ron cheered supportively as Mismagius struck out with a powerful attack, floating purposefully through the air. "Show 'em what you're made of!"

Mismagius was clearly far from fresh, Hermione's battle having been going on for as long as Harry's had been, but she certainly was more than up for it. She was firing down attacks, evading with her telltale calmness, and looked more than capable of taking this fight.

It was the other side of the field, however, that caught Harry's eye. Hermione's opponent for the quarterfinals was Ginny, and it was her Gengar, looking equally as ready for battle, that stood in Hermione's path.

"Dude, you know that's your sister she's battling," Harry reminded Ron, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure," Ron replied, looking to Harry as though confused on what point he was making. "Come on, you're supporting Hermione too, right." Unfortunately Harry wasn't sure he was.

"I'm staying out of it," he said quickly, unwilling to be drawn into making a comment. "I'm not taking any sides here. I want them both to win." Ron shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said, rolling his eyes. "Be like that." An explosion turned his attention back to the battlefield once more. "Great shot, Mismagius!"

The battle seemed to be in a bit of a stalemate but despite this it couldn't be long before the two Pokémon started to fade, and the blows they took began proving decisive.

And at this moment Mismagius was on the attack.

"Mismagius, Dark Pulse!" Hermione cried, her Pokémon responding immediately with the attack. But Gengar dodged agilely, leaping backwards and firing back with a Shadow Ball, forcing Mismagius to shield herself.

"Magical Leaf!"

The never miss move caught Gengar off guard and he staggered backwards as he was caught mid-evasion, slow to recover as the first signs of fatigue started to settle in.

Mismagius pressed her advantage.

"Ominous Wind!"

The deathly powerful gale whipped up by Mismagius thundered throughout the battlefield, causing those watching to flinch away as it built up into a storm that went rushing towards Gengar, ready to strike in what would be a devastating blow.

"Gengar! Protect!"

The shield sprang into place just in time as the Ominous Wind struck. The fierce gale swept across Ginny's side of the battlefield and hammered into Gengar's defences with primal ferocity.

But Gengar's shield held strong.

"Shadow Ball!"

"Into the ground, Gengar!"

As Mismagius's attack aimed to strike her opponent off guard Gengar dodged, his body seeming to fade away as he sunk down into the cold stone floor itself. As he did so all that was left of his presence was a sickly looking, inky puddle of darkness in the spot where he'd been standing.

A set of eyes opened and stared up at Mismagius.

"Mismagius, use Shadow Ball!" Hermione shouted.

"Dodge it, Gengar!" Ginny instructed and the inky blob shifted across the ground, smoothly evading Mismagius's Shadow Ball attack with ease as it crashed into the floor behind him.

"Magical Leaf, Mismagius!"

"Protect!"

A shield, appearing as nothing more than a thin sheen that covered the inky blob on the floor, deflected the Magical Leaf attack with ease as Gengar began to advance. It slipped left and right, zeroing in slickly on an increasing panicked Mismagius as she slowly began to back away in fear. Too slowly.

"Shadow Ball!"

Gengar burst from the ground suddenly at the call, springing up to Mismagius's level in a flash and hanging mere inches from his fellow ghost type, his attack already formed in his hand as he held it aloft, a malevolent grin firmly in place. There was no time to react, Hermione's mouth open in a silent cry, Mismagius and Gengar hanging in midair for what seemed like an eternity, before Gengar threw his attack and the Shadow Ball struck, connecting with an almighty crash.

As the explosion obscured their vision of the Pokémon Mismagius's form fell limply from the smoke. She floated towards the ground, landing softly on her back with a graceful elegance as her eyes remained closed. She did not move.

"Excellent! Excellent battle the both of you." Professor Flitwick had hurried over at the battle's end, his face alight with excitement. "Wonderful. Just wonderful battling. I think you've both deserved a good rest before the next round." And he hurried off again.

"That's my cue," Ron said with a grimace as Hermione and Ginny moved to shake hands, their respective ghost Pokémon coming together too now that their battle was over. From the other side of the hall Daphne was approaching. It was to be her and Ron fighting it out for a place in the semifinals. "Wish me luck."

Harry did so before hurrying off, meeting Hermione and Ginny on his way as they quickly cleared the battlefields. Ron and Daphne would be battling where Hermione and Ginny had just been. Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini took the other battlefield.

Harry leaned back against the wall, getting himself comfortable as he prepared to watch the battles. Though his interest was primarily on Ron and Daphne, hoping Ron would win even if he wasn't as against Daphne as others might think he was, more than a bit of his interest was on the other battlefield. He didn't know much about Blaise Zabini, truth be told, but up against Malfoy it made for an interesting matchup. And despite knowing Zabini must be strong it almost felt like an inevitability that Draco would go through. It almost felt as though he had to, until Harry had the chance to battle him.

Sitting between the two girls, Professor Flitwick going through the usual commands as the four trainers chose their Pokémon, Harry turned to Ginny.

"Congratulations," he told her, dragging her attention away from the battlefield. "That was a great battle." Ginny smiled.

"Thank you, Harry," she said. Her tone was a lot less braggadocios than it was before. Now the competition was at its business end there was little time for jokes. "I''m sure your battle was great as well. Obviously I was a bit distracted at the time. You did win, right?"

"Yeah." Harry let out a small laugh. "Yeah, Talonflame got me through." Ginny grinned.

"I'm glad," she said. "I wouldn't want you to be knocked out before I had the chance to beat you myself." Okay, so maybe it wasn't totally gone.

"To be honest, that was all I was thinking about," Harry joked back, Ginny grinning in response. "But seriously though, you were great."

"Really?" Ginny asked, an odd smile on her face. "You're not just saying that so I let my guard down?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

But Harry wasn't playing.

"No, I really mean it," he told her seriously. "You were great, especially with the way you fought back like that after Mismagius was on the offensive. It was brilliant." He paused. "I hope I do get to battle you," he told her. "Competition aside, I know it will be a great battle."

The odd smile on Ginny's face remained as she looked up at him, seemingly trying to piece something together from what she could see on his face. Harry felt awkward, worried that perhaps he might have given too much away, but Ginny's continued smile, only growing more genuine as she watched him, caused Harry to unconsciously smile too.

For a long moment they didn't say anything.

From beside Harry Hermione jumped, jostling Harry as her elbow poked into his ribs and snapping him back to the present. He blinked, his mind slow to catch up, and he turned to the girl in surprise. Hermione's form was rigid, her hands clutching onto her knees so tightly that they were completely pale, her body practically shaking in place as she leaned forward towards the battlefield.

"Sorry," she murmured, glancing guiltily at Harry before quickly looking back to the battlefield. "Close one."

Harry blinked. "What?" He asked, clueless. Hermione frowned.

"The battle," she said, gesturing out towards the battlefield, sounding scandalised. "Are you not watching?"

Chastised, Harry turned his gaze forward.

As Hermione had indicated both battles were already well underway. On the field closest to them Ron had gone out with his Blastoise, the tough water type stepping in as Ron's most powerful Pokémon with Arcanine too exhausted from his matchup with Neville. On Daphne's side of the field hovered her Vespiquen.

"Hydro Pump!" Ron shouted, directing Blastoise into attack. The bulky water Pokémon took aim with his mighty cannons and blasted a jet of high pressured water across the battlefield.

Vespiquen, wings beating fiercely, dodged it.

"Keep it up!" Ron shouted encouragingly and Blastoise repositioned his cannons.

"Vespiquen, use Air Slash!"

As another high pressured jet came flying towards the queen bee Pokémon Vespiquen struck back. A sharp blade of air formed, scything across the battlefield and meeting Blastoise's attack head on. The water split in two, Vespiquen's attack carving a path through the Hydro Pump before hammering into Blastoise, pushing him stumbling backwards on impact.

"Air Slash, again!" Daphne called. A second attack came flying Blastoise's way.

"Use Rapid Spin!" Shouted Ron.

Blastoise sprung into the air, arms, legs and head tucking into his thick shell as he began to spin rapidly, his body becoming a blur. The Air Slash attack struck him, fighting to knock him back, before it eventually broke apart uselessly against Blastoise's defences.

Daphne scowled. "Vespiquen, Attack Order!"

It was an attack Harry had never seen before. For a moment it seemed like nothing was happening, the action on the battlefield going oddly still as both Pokémon hovered in place, before a loud buzzing started to echo throughout the hall. Looking around for the source of the noise there were more than a few gasps as hundreds of tiny dark figures began to stream from beneath Vespiquen's honeycomb-like body. They swarmed, like a horde of angry bees, right across the battlefield, with Blastoise, still spinning in place, in their sights.

But they did not crash into him. Instead, to Harry's shock, they began to surround him.

For a moment Blastoise continued to spin, even as he was obscured by the swarm of angry bees surrounding him, before he suddenly came to a screeching halt. He staggered, raising his arms out defensively as the bees swarmed around him, nipping here and there, leaving Blastoise powerless to defend. They would not relent.

"Blastoise!" Ron cried, looking on in panic. "Blastoise, hang in there! Use Rapid Spin and then Hydro Pump!"

Blastoise spun, eyes closed against the all encompassing swarm, desperate to escape them. And a moment later he did as water blasted from the holes of his shell. The attacking swarm was washed away in an instant, any bee touched by the water immediately falling to the ground, defeated, and after mere moments they had all been eradicated and Blastoise was able to pull up, triumphant, and glare across the battlefield.

"Use Skull Bash!" Ron instructed excitedly and Blastoise went charging, head bowed in preparation.

"Double Team!"

Blastoise's attack missed. The water type Pokémon was left floundering as he found himself flying through what appeared to be Vespiquen, only for the image to fade the moment he came into contact. Looking up, he found himself surrounded.

"Ice Punch!" Blastoise swung at the nearest copy of Vespiquen, his ice covered fist swiping through and disintegrating the image. Undeterred he moved on to the next.

"Air Slash!"

From behind Blastoise's back the real Vespiquen sent out her attack, crashing the wave of compressed air into the back of Blastoise's rock hard shell. The water type stumbled, knocked off balance, but recovered quickly and glared over his shoulder.

"Hydro Pump!" Ron called and Blastoise shot out the attack immediate. Like before Vespiquen was able to dodge, too agile to be caught so easily, but she wasn't prepared for what happened next. "Water Pulse!"

As one cannon blasted water in a vicious stream towards where Vespiquen had just been hovering, the other redirected. The sphere of water caught Vespiquen unawares, crashing into her and dousing her completely, leaving her disorientated and sopping wet.

"Skull Bash!"

Blastoise pressed his advantage, charging forward before Vespiquen had the chance to recover, and he crashed into her with full force.

Vespiquen was tossed through the air, hitting the ground hard and bouncing across the stone floor. Bedraggled, she struggled into the air, her wings struggling with the water that now soaked them.

"Finish this with Ice Punch, Blastoise!" Ron shouted triumphantly and Blastoise charged, fist at the ready.

"Attack Order!"

Immediately Blastoise pulled up, memory of the attack before giving him pause, and as the loud buzzing began to build once more he braced himself for the attack.

"Blastoise, stay calm!" Ron told him, even as the dark swarm appeared from Vespiquen once more. "We know what to do, remember! Start using Rapid Spin!"

Blastoise nodded. He leapt up into the air, spinning rapidly, and waited as the swarm began to approach him.

But it didn't.

"Heal Order!" Daphne instructed and the swarm stopped in midair. Everyone waited with bated breath, not sure what to expect, before the swarm started to fly back, away from the rapidly spinning Blastoise, back towards where Vespiquen still hovered. They returned from whence they came, the buzzing going with them, and as they did a soft glow enveloped Vespiquen. Her wings began to dry. Her bruises began to fade.

"Blastoise, use Skull Bash!" Ron cried, realising too late what Daphne was doing. Breaking from his spin Blastoise charged forward, thundering across the battlefield with his head bent.

"Defend Order!" Daphne instructed and the swarm appeared once more. They rose up between the two Pokémon, forming a physical barrier between them, and though Blastoise was able to smash through it he was unable to continue with his attack. Blastoise stopped before her. "Air Slash!"

The attack struck Blastoise from point blank range and sent him staggering, even going so far as to briefly lift him off his feet as he fell backwards, wincing as he clutched his chest.

"Now Hidden Power!"

Blastoise was not given enough time to dodge. The mysterious attack built up before Vespiquen in a moment before it went flying the short distance across the battlefield, crashing into Blastoise and knocking him into the ground, sending him skittling across the floor with tremendous force.

The Hidden Power must have been either grass or electric type for Blastoise struggled to rise back to his feet. He looked exhausted and battered, while Vespiquen looked renewed as she buzzed across the battlefield.

"Attack Order!" Daphne shouted.

"Hydro Pump!" Shouted Ron.

The two attacks collided in midair, the Hydro Pump punching a hole through the centre of the swarm and crashing into Vespiquen before she had the chance to dodge. But the rest of the swarm, the outer fringes, remained, and they continued on.

"Blastoise!" Ron shouted as the bees buzzed forward but Blastoise wasn't listening. The bees had swarmed him again and he was too tired to fight back. He swiped his arms helplessly, doing his best just to try and protect himself from their sting. "Blastoise, Rapid Spin!"

But Blastoise couldn't do it. He'd reached the end of his strength.

Across the battlefield Vespiquen had recovered. She hovered forward.

"Hidden Power!" Daphne instructed.

The build up to Vespiquen's attack was slow, she was clearly fatigued, but it did not matter as her target was incapable of fighting back. The attack formed and a moment later it flew forwards, obliterating what remained of the swarm and crashing into Blastoise, knocking him to the ground as the attack washed over him.

At last, battered and bruised and at the end of his strength, Blastoise's eyes fell closed.

* * *

 **A/N:** That's it for this chapter. Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed please remember to Review and follow me on Twitter for further updates.

I'll see you next time for the semi-finals.


	26. Valentine's Day: Final Four

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The break Professor Flitwick called after the last of the quarterfinal matches was much appreciated by those battling and, judging by the stream of excited mutterings, from those watching too. It was, however, accompanied by a thoroughly despondent Ron.

"I messed up," he complained bitterly as he approached his friends. "I should have won that. All I needed was one more hit." He shook his head in frustration.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Harry told him. "Daphne's smart. I had no idea she would be able to come back from that after you were able to get all those hits off on Vespiquen."

"Harry's right," said Hermione. "There's no shame in losing."

"But I should have won," said Ron, frustrated. "I just got so caught up worrying about that stupid Attack Order…"

"But that's not your fault," Ginny chimed in. "I've never heard of Attack Order before, or those other moves."

"Defence Order and Heal Order," Hermione filled in for them. "Only Vespiquen can learn those moves so it's no surprise you haven't seen them before. I've read about them but even I was taken aback. Daphne clearly figured she could use that to her advantage."

"It worked," Ron muttered. "If only I'd just been a bit quicker…"

"You did brilliantly, Ron," Hermione told him adamantly. "The way you managed to neutralise the attack in the first place with that Rapid Spin-Hydro Pump manoeuvre was inspired."

Ron flushed.

"Well," he muttered awkwardly. "I thought, you know, they were like bees or something, right. So if I could get them wet I could stop them."

"It was brilliant," Hermione reaffirmed. "Absolutely brilliant."

A small scoff drew their attention.

"Brilliant, Granger?" Draco Malfoy had approached them, an arrogant smirk on his face. "Well, I suppose if your goal is mediocrity then Weasley was indeed 'brilliant'."

Ron's fists clenched.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked. This was the first time they'd spoken since they'd been forced to work together at the start of the year. Harry had thought Malfoy was finished with him, that he wasn't going to bother him anymore. Apparently he was wrong.

"Well, Potter, given that I am in the last four of this battle competition I decided it would be a good idea to scout out the opposition," Malfoy smirked.

"You don't need to scout me," Harry pointed out, unimpressed. "You know me better than that."

Malfoy's smirk only grew wider.

"Actually, I was not referring to you, Potter," he drawled. "I will get round to you eventually, don't worry." He turned to Ginny. "But for this round I've been matched up against the little red Weasel over here."

"Call me that again and you'll regret it," Ginny retorted.

Malfoy was unfazed.

"Unlikely," he smirked. He looked her up and down. "But I do like that fire. It's a pity you've chosen to hang your flag with Potter and your do-gooder family. You could have been something special in Slytherin."

Ron stepped forward angrily, his fists clenched, and Harry too felt anger bubbling beneath the surface.

Malfoy smirked. "I'll see you on the battlefield, Weasley," he drawled, inclining his head ever so slightly in recognition. "And Potter, try not to lose to Greengrass, would you. I'd be very disappointed to have to win this without beating you."

And he left, a seething group of Gryffindors standing in his wake.

"That bastard," Ron scowled. "I ought to take him out to the Quidditch Pitch and give him a good whack."

"Don't," said Harry warningly. "You know he's just trying to wind you up."

"And try to make you feel bad when you're supposed to be celebrating," Hermione added. "You did really well, and Malfoy knows this so he's trying to bring you down, like usual. Don't let him win."

The tension in Ron's shoulders lessened slightly.

"Alright," he admitted, letting out a breath. "You're right. I'll relax." Hermione smiled. Even so Ron sent a glare in Malfoy's direction.

"Battlers!" Professor Flitwick called out over the milling students, grabbing their attention. "Battlers at the ready! The semifinals are about to begin! For the first battle could we have Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy to the battlefield please! That's Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy to the battlefield! Thank you!"

All eyes turned to the two trainers.

"Okay," said Ginny, letting out a slightly nervous breath. "Time to battle."

"You got this, sis," said Ron encouragingly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder in a one armed hug, giving her a squeeze.

"Just do your best, we're all behind you," said Hermione. Ginny smiled gratefully.

She turned to Harry.

For a moment Harry held her gaze.

He smiled. "See you in the final," he told her. Ginny grinned back.

"Okay, I'm ready," she told them, brushing down her clothes and straightening up. "Wish me luck." And she strode out onto the battlefield.

Harry felt his smile fade as he watched her go. Malfoy was already out on the battlefield, waiting in position, and as his opponent appeared he gave her a cocky smirk.

Unbidden, Malfoy's words reverberated in Harry's head.

Did Malfoy like Ginny? That seemed impossible but that's basically what he'd said. He wished she'd been in Slytherin, with him. That was as close to admitting he liked her as Malfoy was ever going to get.

Was he going to make a move? Harry shuddered at the thought. Against his will a scene began to play out in his head, Malfoy admitting his feelings for Ginny after their battle in some poetic, dramatic fashion, ruining everything Harry had planned. Could that possibly happen?

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head, letting out an annoyed breath. Of course it wouldn't. He was probably reading too much into it but even if he wasn't and Malfoy was going to profess his love for Ginny, there was no way Ginny was going to fall for him. The very idea was ludicrous.

And if Harry didn't get a grip of himself she wouldn't want to be with him either. He took a deep breath, and opened his eyes.

Flitwick had already started the battle by the time he was finally able to focus upon it, Pokémon standing before each trainer, though Harry could tell he hadn't missed much. Both Ninetales on Ginny's side and Honchkrow on Malfoy's looked fresh and ready.

"Ninetales, Flamethrower!" Ginny commanded. The fire type, who Ginny had said she was saving to battle him, launched the attack. Clearly Ginny felt she needed her best to beat Malfoy.

On Malfoy's side Honchkrow dodged with ease. "Dark Pulse!" The Slytherin commanded and Honchkrow fired down his attack.

Like Honchkrow Ninetales easily dodged the attack. The deadlock was maintained.

"Quick Attack!" Ginny shouted and Ninetales shot off, springing into the air with incredible speed and catching Honchkrow before he could even make an attempt to dodge.

"Dark Pulse!" Malfoy called and immediately Ninetales was in trouble. After contact she was suspended in midair, a sitting duck to any attack, and Honchkrow was quick to recover and make her pay, the Dark Pulse crashing into her violently and slamming her into the ground.

Ninetales jumped straight back to her feet.

"Flamethrower!"

"Ominous Wind!"

Fire sprang from Ninetales's mouth and shot towards Honchkrow, only to be met halfway by an almighty wind. The two attacks fought each other, battling for dominance, fighting to reach their target, before eventually the Flamethrower died.

The Ominous Wind struck Ninetales with tremendous force, the fire type forced to dig in as the wind threatened to sweep her off her feet. She fought hard to face her opponent, her face determined, but as the Ominous Wind continued she was stuck in place.

"Use Feint Attack!" Ginny cried over the fierce gale and, a mere moment after the order was given, Ninetales seemed to simply fade out of existence.

She didn't reappear.

"Stop your attack!" Malfoy commanded to Honchkrow, eyes narrowed as he looked out over the now empty battlefield. Then his eyes widened and he turned upwards. "Look out!"

It seemed Ginny had taken a leaf out of Talonflame's book.

"Fire Blast!" She shouted and from on high a blast of fire descended from the Pokémon perched up in the rafters, Ninetales catching Honchkrow unaware and engulfing him in the five prongs of burning flames that flew down upon him.

"Get him, Ninetales!" Ginny shouted and Ninetales leapt forward, colliding with the fiery bird below and sending both Pokémon crashing roughly to the floor.

On landing Ninetales rolled to safety.

"Now Fire Spin!" Flames erupted in Ninetales's jaws and flew towards where Honchkrow was staggering to his feet. The fire warped, wrapping itself around its target in a huge fiery pillar, reaching up all the way from the ground to the ceiling above.

Malfoy's jaw clenched. "Ominous Wind!"

For a moment nothing seemed to happen as the flames burned around where Honchkrow had been standing. Then a high wind began to build within the vortex. The flames were pushed outwards, undulating as Honchkrow's attack fought against Ninetales's before the pillar finally collapsed, the flames dying out, and Honchkrow appeared once more.

"Fly!" Honchkrow launched himself skywards.

"Fire Blast!" Ginny cried and the five pronged flame shot forward, chasing the still smouldering bird high into the air.

"Tailwind!" Malfoy commanded. A strong breeze swept through the hall, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere, rippling through Harry's hair as it went, while up above it caught Honchkrow's feathers.

Turning sharply Honchkrow flipped backwards and slipped through the gaps in Ninetales's Fire Blast attack, avoiding it completely and, with renewed energy, he flew for his opponent.

"Dark Pulse!" Malfoy cried and Ninetales was forced to leap aside as the dark type attack struck the ground where she'd been standing.

"Flamethrower, Ninetales!"

"Sucker Punch!"

Ninetales's attack was cut short as one of Honchkrow's powerful wings struck before she could attack, smacking her hard across the face as she reeled back in shock.

Attack still building Ninetales turned and fought back.

"Feint Attack!"

Honchkrow disappeared just in time for Ninetales's Flamethrower attack to fly right through where he'd just been.

"Night Slash!"

Honchkrow's reappearance was followed immediately by another swipe of the wing, this one sending Ninetales flying through the air.

"Dark Pulse!"

"Ninetales!" Ginny cried as the last in Honchkrow's deadly combo crashed into her Pokémon before she even had a chance to recover. Ninetales was thrown across the battlefield, landing in a heap on the ground, and she struggled as she tried to rise back to her feet.

Across the battlefield Honchkrow flew overhead.

"Sky Attack!" Commanded Malfoy, his voice cold. Honchkrow's form began to glow.

At the other end Ginny was coaxing Ninetales back to her feet.

"You can do it," she encouraged, urging her on. "One last attack." Ninetales forced herself up, clearly exhausted, and turned to her opponent.

Honchkrow dived.

"Flamethrower!"

The fire attack burst forward, Ninetales putting all she had left into the one attack, and it burned its way towards Honchkrow with deadly intent. Honchkrow, attack in motion, flew into the fire.

For a moment it was impossible to see what was happening. In the fire Honchkrow's features became distorted, the flickering flame mixed with the glow of Sky Attack hiding the Pokémon beneath.

But still he pressed on. He flew down towards Ninetales regardless of the flames that desperately sought to burn him and struck Ninetales with tremendous force as the two attacks came to a devastating head.

For a long time everything was still. Smoke hung over the battlefield, obscuring the two Pokémon from view, and as it started to clear it soon became obvious that the battle was over.

Honchkrow stood upon the battlefield, feathers burnt and misshapen, sticking up in all directions, while a few feet away lay Ninetales.

"Ninetales is unable to battle, Honchkrow is the winner!" Announced Professor Flitwick into the silence. "Therefore Draco Malfoy is the victor and will be progressing to the next round! Congratulations Draco, our first finalist!"

The cheers started now, those who had supported Malfoy cheering the loudest as others around the hall applauded politely for the high quality battle they'd witnessed.

In the middle of the battlefield the two trainers wordlessly shook hands, and despite Harry's concerns Malfoy did not make any comment. He simply smirked at his opponent.

"Now, moving right along," Flitwick called out as the two trainers parted. "Can I have Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass to the battlefield for our second semifinal!"

"Good luck," said Ron, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

"You can do this, Harry," said Hermione. Harry nodded.

"Thanks guys," he told them before he quietly stepped forward.

He would be battling from the same end as Ginny had been, and as he wandered over in that direction he found Ginny coming the other way, head bowed, with her Ninetales now safely back in her Pokéball.

As she approached Harry worried about whether or not he should say something, but with his own nerves for the battle about to come and his uncertainties on whether Ginny would want to hear from him, he decided to let her pass unbothered. She likely wasn't in the mood to talk.

But he was surprised. As he passed, Ginny took a hold of his arm.

"Don't lose this," she told him. Harry looked down at her. The smallest of smiles tugged at Ginny's lips, breaking her grim expression. "Either I beat you or no one does. Got it?" Harry smiled in relief.

"Got it," he said.

Ginny nodded, looking satisfied, and she let go of his arm once more, leaving him without another word to join the rest of spectators. Alone, Harry made the rest of his journey to the end of the battlefield.

On the opposite side of the hall he saw Daphne begin her approach. She paused as Blaise Zabini whispered something in her ear, giving the slightest of nods in response. Harry wondered what Zabini had to say. Either way he'd find out the effect of his words soon enough.

"Trainers ready?" Flitwick asked, looking between Harry and Daphne. They both nodded. "This is the second semifinal of the Battle Competition," Flitwick announced, "between Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass! Trainers, release your Pokémon!"

Harry grasped ahold of his Pokéball. He already knew who he was going to use. He needed someone fresh, someone strong, but it wasn't time for Charizard yet.

"Talonflame, go!" Harry shouted, releasing the fire and flying type onto the battlefield. Talonflame soared free, barely fatigued from his earlier meeting with Sceptile, and he spread his wings joyfully before swooping through the air, turning to face his opponent.

Daphne had called on her Nidoqueen. This was going to be a tough battle.

"Trainers, ready?!" Asked Flitwick. "Three, two,… one!"

And the battle had begun.

"Talonflame, Flame Charge!" Harry commanded. The attack wouldn't do much damage to a beast like Nidoqueen but Harry knew well enough how important having the speed advantage could be, and against Nidoqueen it was likely his best chance of winning.

Talonflame swooped forward.

"Nidoqueen, use Rock Slide!"

Harry couldn't believe Daphne had gone for that attack. Had she not seen how well Talonflame could dodge it?

Either way Nidoqueen attacked and, as Harry knew full well he could, Talonflame dodged.

"Power-Up Punch!"

This did catch Harry off guard. As Talonflame drew close Nidoqueen swung a fist, looking to nail the Pokémon at close range, and it forced Talonflame to take evasive action, swooping past Nidoqueen's outstretched arm.

But now he was behind her.

"Ember!" Harry cried and Talonflame rained down the attack on Nidoqueen's unprotected back, the bulky Pokémon too slow to be able to turn and counter. "Now Steel Wing!" Talonflame swooped down and clattered into the back of Nidoqueen's head.

"Thunder Punch!"

Talonflame barely dodged Nidoqueen's swipe, the sparking fist merely brushing against his tail feathers instead. Had Nidoqueen not been off balance Harry knew that would have been a devastating hit.

Talonflame soared away.

"Sandstorm!"

The blast struck Talonflame unexpectedly from behind, sending him tumbling through the air uncontrollably as all around him dirt and sand swirled, scratching at his body as he was buffeted left and right.

"Rock Slide!"

Talonflame couldn't dodge. Not this time. With the sandstorm obscuring his vision and the high wind throwing him off balance he could do little to avoid the rocks that descended upon him. One caught his wing, sending him into a downward spiral, before another cracked against the back of his head.

He hit the ground with a loud thud, stones thundering all around him.

He was given no respite.

"Earth Power!"

The ground exploded beneath him. The ground type attack, which usually would not be able to even touch him, launched him high into the air in a haphazard tangle of limbs.

For a brief moment he hung suspended in midair.

"Rock Slide!"

"Dive, Talonflame!" Harry yelled, desperate to break Talonflame free before it was too late, and, fuzzy head beginning to clear, Talonflame on instinct followed his command. "Agility!"

And at that moment Talonflame's mind snapped back into focus. With the ground rapidly approaching Talonflame pulled up and, with a tremendous burst of speed, shot off, the falling rocks crashing thunderously behind him as he soared towards Nidoqueen.

"Fire Blast!"

Nidoqueen wasn't ready, had barely realised that Talonflame had escaped her trap, and was soon engulfed by the five pronged blast of burning hot flames.

"Thunder Punch!" Daphne cried and Nidoqueen swung wildly, blinded by the flames, but Talonflame had already swooped away again.

"Acrobatics!" Harry cried, sensing the opportunity to turn the battle around. Talonflame, turning in midair, swooped down towards Nidoqueen, jagging left and right in unpredictable fashion before crashing hard into her shoulder, sending her staggering.

Talonflame swooped away.

"Rock Slide!" Shouted Daphne but Talonflame was ready. Though the Sandstorm continued Talonflame had more than been able to adjust and he soared majestically upwards, slaloming expertly between the falling rocks and rising higher than even the sandstorm itself.

It was beginning to fade.

"Razor Wind!" Harry called and Talonflame gave several powerful flaps of his wings. Blades of air formed from the action and swiped down through the sandstorm, clearing the air out even further as they descended down towards their target. Nidoqueen, standing below, crossed her arms and braced herself for the hit.

They were at a critical point in the battle now, Harry knew it. With Talonflame's superior speed he had a huge advantage over Nidoqueen. However, with Nidoqueen's immense power it wouldn't take many more hits to take Talonflame down. If Nidoqueen could get another Sandstorm up and pull together another combo like before then the battle was as good as over.

Harry had to stop her from getting that chance.

"Talonflame, use Steel Wing!" Harry shouted.

Talonflame dived, turning to flatten out as he reached ground level, and he shot straight at Nidoqueen.

"Nidoqueen, Double Edge!"

Harry grimaced. In a full on collision there was only going to be one winner.

"Dodge, Talonflame!" Harry shouted at the very last second. Talonflame, as though anticipating the call, reacted immediately, banking ever so slightly as the two Pokémon closed in on each other.

With a collision looking inevitable Talonflame shot just over Nidoqueen's shoulder.

"Fire Blast!" Harry shouted. Talonflame dipped, circling round immediately as Nidoqueen failed to do the same, struggling to pull herself to a stop. Fire engulfed her before she could turn, burning fiercely at her unprotected back, and Harry saw his chance.

"Brave Bird!"

Talonflame shot forward, body engulfed in violent energy, closing in on Nidoqueen as she continued to struggle. She turned to face him, her body still enshrouded in burning embers, and Talonflame pressed on to strike her full in the chest.

Nidoqueen toppled, as if in slow motion, the attack so powerful that it even managed to lift the behemoth off her feet. She rose soundlessly and then fell, landing back first on the ground with a tremendous thud.

"Nidoqueen is unable to battle, Talonflame wins!" Professor Flitwick announced excitedly. "And the winner, and the second trainer to go through to this year's final, is Harry Potter!"

There were cheers, Harry was caught by surprise. He'd forgotten where they were battling, forgotten about the audience they had, and as he felt his racing pulse start to settle he let out a small smile.

Talonflame swooped into view, landing slightly heavily on his shoulder, and Harry looked up at him in pride. Softly he reached up to Talonflame's ruffled plumage, gently stroking the feathers back into place, before he stepped out onto the battlefield.

Daphne was already there, kneeling next to her Nidoqueen in the very middle, encouraging her back to her feet.

They spotted Harry and Talonflame just as Nidoqueen was finally able to stand, hunched and leaning on her trainer for support, but steady enough not to fall.

"That was a good battle," said Harry. He held out his hand.

Daphne was watching him with narrowed eyes, as if unsure of how to respond to him when surrounded by so many people. Harry wasn't concerned though. It had been a good battle and it was only right to shake on it.

And so he left his hand out to shake and Daphne, overcoming her hesitance, took it.

"Well played, Potter," she told him. "I'd wish you luck, but, house pride." Harry smiled.

"Thank you," he said and they let go.

"Excellent," said Professor Flitwick excitedly. "Excellent display of sportsmanship. Now, Mr Potter, we're going to have a bit of a break before the final. Give you a chance to catch your breath a bit."

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick," said Harry and he looked to his shoulder. "And thank you too, Talonflame," he said. "Take a well deserved rest. Charizard will take it from here." He returned Talonflame to his Pokéball and stepped away from the battlefield, towards the spectators.

He found Ron and Hermione immediately.

"That was brilliant," Ron told him as he approached, thumping him on the chest with a broad grin on his face. "Absolutely brilliant."

"I agree," chimed in Hermione. "You utilised Talonflame's advantages over Nidoqueen perfectly."

"We thought you were a goner after that Sandstorm-Rock Slide-Earth Power combo," added Ron. "I thought Rock Slide alone would be too much for a fire and flying type like Talonflame."

"Talonflame's tough," Harry told him with a grin. "He wasn't going to give up that easily." He glanced around. "Where's Ginny?" The youngest Weasley was strangely absent.

Ron looked around too.

"No idea," he said, looking nonplussed. "Blimey, she was right here a minute ago."

"She must have left when the battle ended," Hermione suggested logically. "I'm sure she'll be back in time for the final."

A flash of red hair caught Harry's eye.

"Hang on," he said, and without thinking he turned after it.

"Harry, mate, the battle," Ron protested as Harry made for the doors of the Great Hall.

"I'll be there," he said hurriedly, looking back over his shoulder. "Just give me a minute." And he hurried off, half walking, half running, and drawing more than a few odd looks as he rushed out of the Great Hall.

But Harry wasn't thinking about them. The only thing in his mind was the girl he'd spotted leaving the hall.

He found her in the Entrance Hall, one foot on the bottom step of the marble staircase.

"Hey!" He called, hurrying over. Ginny turned.

"Harry?" She questioned, looking confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Harry told her. He panted slightly as he came to a stop. "Where are you going? Aren't you going to watch the final?" Ginny gave him a strange look.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she told him. "I was coming back. Of course I wasn't going to miss your battle." Harry suddenly felt very stupid.

He flushed.

"Sorry," he said awkwardly, rubbing his face in embarrassment. "Yeah, that makes sense. I was just…" he trailed off helplessly.

Ginny considered him.

"Are you alright?" She asked and she took her foot off the bottom step to turn to him proper. "You've been a bit weird. All day, actually. Is something the matter?"

Harry flushed again. Apparently his internal struggles hadn't been as well managed as he'd thought. And now Ginny was calling him out on it.

What could he say? She was on to him but he couldn't ruin the plan. He was so close, all he had to do was beat Malfoy, win the competition, and then…

And suddenly he realised just how stupid he was being. So lost in his own thoughts and plans and schemes he had forgotten something important, something so fundamental that he wanted to hit himself for not noticing.

Ginny wasn't some prize for him to win. She was a person, his friend, and he realised, beyond that, that he didn't really want some huge moment in front of loads of people when he asked her out. His favourite moments, the moments that had led him to fall for Ginny in the first place, came from times when they were alone, just the two of them, not having to put on a show for anyone, being able to just be honest about who they were and talk to each other as equals.

And if Harry was ever going to be worthy of being with her then he needed to talk to her. He needed to ask her if she wanted him, rather than just assume.

He swallowed hard.

"Eh, yeah, sorry about that," he murmured, rubbing his head nervously. His heart was racing. "I'm not trying to be weird, I promise. I've just had something on my mind and, well, I guess you can say I haven't done the best job dealing with it."

"Can I help?" Ginny asked. Harry let out a surprised laugh.

"Definitely," he told her. "One hundred percent. But, it's not up to you to help."

"Doesn't mean I can't," Ginny reminded him. Again Harry struggled to withhold his amusement. "Maybe we can work this out, whatever it is, together, if you tell me."

Harry smiled.

"Okay," he said softly. "Okay, I will tell you." He took a deep breath.

Here goes.

"So, a long time ago now, something happened that… well, changed my life," he began. "Things weren't good, I was having a hard time because… well, you know how it is. I was very low and I had a friend… a friend of mine who was there to help me. And she kissed me."

Ginny's face froze. There was no expression displayed that Harry could make out, no matter how hard he tried. He swallowed.

 _Don't stop now_ , he urged himself. _Keep going_.

"It was… confusing," he admitted, the words coming almost unwillingly from his mouth. Every word was chosen with care yet somehow they never sounded quite right. Almost as though it was a poor translation of what he was actually trying to tell her.

"I knew this girl," he continued, breathing deeply. "She was my friend. And I didn't want anything to ruin that, I didn't want anything to change. I just wanted things to go back to normal, back to what I recognised and what I was comfortable with." He stopped, meeting Ginny's gaze.

"I don't want that now."

Ginny looked hesitant at his words. Harry tried to guess what she was thinking, tried to discern how she would react once he had reached the end, once he had said the words so clear that they could not possibly be misunderstood, but there was nothing he could puzzle together. So he plowed on, with only hope to keep him going.

"I… I've not been good at expressing my feelings in the past," he told her, his voice shaky. "And ever since Christmas - and things have always got in the way, somehow or another - I've been looking for some opportunity to tell you… I like you. I want to be with you."

Ginny's mouth opened ever so slightly, forming a soft 'o', and Harry felt his insides clench. She hadn't rejected him. Not yet.

"You like me," she whispered, looking at him with wide eyes. "Like, _like me_ like me."

"Yes," Harry told her and he felt his mouth curl slightly at the thought. "I know, I've done an awful job of showing it. I should have just come out and told you, like I'm doing now, right back when I first realised. But I've just been so caught up in how to do it and when, even today… especially today, I've been so stupid. I had this thought that, somehow, if I could just win this battle competition you'd just be so impressed and I could just kiss you and…" he trailed off embarrassedly. "It took me way too long to realise why that wouldn't work."

"Yeah," Ginny muttered. Harry bowed his head in apology.

"So," he said and he hesitated. "Uh, I realised, just now really, that the only way to tell you I like you is to do it like this. Or, more elegantly, preferably. I've made a bit of a pig's ear of this." An amused smile briefly crossed Ginny's face. "I, uh, yeah. I guess I've said it. I just… hope… that you like me back."

Ginny cocked her head to the side, causing Harry's breath to catch.

"You don't know if I like you back?" She asked, curious. Harry flushed.

"I hope so," he admitted. "But… I'm not so good at this so… Do you like me?"

A soft smile crossed Ginny's face as she glanced away, ever so slightly shaking her head in amusement. As her hair fell briefly across her face she pulled it back, turning to look at him.

"Well," she said, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. "I guess you'll just have to kiss me and find out."

A hesitant smile crossed Harry's face, his brain tentatively allowing him to hear what she was telling him. His whole body felt jittery, his lips very dry, as he stepped forward with caution and, emboldened when Ginny did not pull away, he ever so gently pressed his lips to her's.

The moment their lips met it felt as though a great weight had been lifted from Harry's shoulders. He felt free, for the first time that he could remember, and as he revelled in the feeling, drinking in the euphoria, he drew Ginny closer, his hand getting lost in her hair as the other wrapped around her waist.

He felt Ginny respond, felt her hands resting against his chest, her lips moving against his in perfect sync, and inside he laughed at the nerves that had held him back for so long. How could he have doubted this? He wished their kiss would never end.

* * *

 **A/N:** So there it is, the moment you've either been waiting for or dreading. Hope you've enjoyed it and if you have please leave a Review and don't forget to follow me on Twitter.

In other news I'm sure you must have seen the new information about Gen 8. I'm really excited from what I've seen but what do you think? Do you like the look of the Galar region? And what about the starters? I'm not sure about Scorbunny but I love Sobble and Grookey. I'll have to wait to see their evolutions, though, before I decide which one I'll be choosing as my starter.

In the meantime I look forward to seeing you in the next chapter, where the Valentine's Day Battle Competition will finally come to its conclusion. Until then.


	27. Valentine's Day: Harry vs Draco

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

Eventually they broke apart, their lips drifting ever so slightly away as the kiss came to an end, and Harry gazed down at her. Ginny's eyes were closed, a contented smile turning her lips, and as her eyes opened and she looked up into his Harry knew that his smile was just the same. Then she raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to be late," she warned him, glancing past Harry to the doors of the Great Hall.

"Don't care," Harry told her. "They can have the battle without me." She shook her head, amused.

"They actually can't," she pointed out. "And after all you've done to get this far I don't think you'd want them to." Harry supposed so.

"We'll talk later?" He asked. Truthfully there didn't seem much to talk about, Harry felt like in this moment they understood each other perfectly, but he just knew he wanted to see her again soon.

Ginny nodded.

"Now get going," she told him, pushing him away softly. "We wouldn't want Professor Flitwick to come searching and find us like this. Or worse, Ron." Harry laughed.

"Definitely," he agreed, allowing himself to take the steps away from her to break contact. "Okay, I'll go back." He paused. "And you'll be there for my battle?"

Ginny grinned. "I wouldn't miss it for anything," she told him. "Now go. I'll see you later."

With one last smile Harry allowed himself to leave and, practically skipping, he walked back into the Great Hall.

He found Ron and Hermione almost immediately.

"Blimey, mate, why'd you run off like that?" Ron muttered, looking more than a little relieved to see him. "You were gone so long I thought you were going to miss the battle."

"I saw Ginny," Harry explained, trying to control the grin on his face. "Took awhile to track her down. She was just going to the bathroom, by the way. She won't miss the battle."

"I could have told you it'd be something like that," Hermione said crossly. "If you'd just stayed long enough to listen…"

"I know, you're right," Harry said apologetically. Not that he regretted it for a moment. "I think I was just too hyped up on adrenaline."

"Can't say I blame you," Ron muttered.

"Neither can I." Professor Flitwick had approached them. "I'm quite anticipating this battle Mr Potter. You and Mr Malfoy, I think this is something the whole school has been waiting for, perhaps even since your very first year." Harry smiled.

"Now, let's be getting on," said Flitwick. "Are you ready, Mr Potter?" Harry nodded.

"Good luck, Harry," said Hermione.

"Yeah, mate, knock 'em dead," said Ron.

Harry received a number of other encouraging calls as he made his way forward. His side of the hall seemed to have become the centre for his support, filled up with Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, with very few people having left the hall since the battles had first started.

On the other side of the hall Malfoy had plenty of supporters of his own. A smaller, but no less eager group of students were urging the blond Slytherin onto the battlefield and, as Harry took his place in the same spot from which he'd defeated Daphne, Malfoy flashed him a confident smirk.

Professor Flitwick stepped forward.

"This is the final battle of the Valentine's Day Battling Competition," Flitwick announced to cheers from around the hall. "Please give a warm hand to our finalists, Draco Malfoy, representing Slytherin, and Harry Potter, representing Gryffindor."

The cheers grew, many of the students whistling loudly and crying out their support for their chosen side, and for the first time Harry began to feel nerves kick in. This was it, even if there was not as much riding on this battle as Harry had previous imagined. Even so he had to win. It was Malfoy, there was no other way.

"Trainers, release your Pokémon!"

Harry knew who he was choosing. He'd been saving him all night. The time had come.

"Charizard, I choose you!"

"Serperior, let's go!"

In front of Harry Charizard roared as he materialised from his Pokéball. Waiting patiently until it was time to be called upon he was determined, just like his trainer, to win.

On the other side of the battlefield stood Malfoy's Serperior. He looked as cool and aloof as always, a perfect mirror of his trainer. It did not seem to concern him to be facing a Charizard. The choice surprised Harry, he had been expecting Alakazam, but he knew full well that there was no surprise that Harry chose Charizard. Malfoy had a plan.

A flash of red caught Harry's eye and he turned his head.

Ginny had slipped back into the Great Hall, inconspicuously finding a place to watch the battle before she caught his eye. She smiled.

Harry's nerves faded. It did not matter who Malfoy chose, it did not matter what Malfoy's plans were. Nothing mattered but Harry and Charizard.

"Trainers, ready?!" Flitwick called. "Then let the battle begin!"

For a brief moment everything went still.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Harry called, surprised that Malfoy seemed to be allowing him to have the first attack.

A blast of fire burst across the battlefield. Serperior, prepared, weaved out of the way.

"Coil!" Said Malfoy.

Malfoy was setting up, Harry realised as Serperior drew in its long serpentine body. Malfoy was trying to cancel out type advantage by ensuring Serperior's attacks would hit just as hard.

But coiled up Serperior was vulnerable.

"Flamethrower, again!" Harry shouted, Charizard redirecting his attack to Serperior's new position.

"Light Screen!"

A golden box of light flitted into being around Serperior and the Flamethrower attack struck, and appeared to be held back. Harry knew Serperior wasn't completely protected, Light Screen was only able to stop some of the damage of any given attack, but it had very effectively cut off the type advantage of Charizard's moves.

And Serperior wasn't finished.

"Calm Mind!" Malfoy commanded and Harry truly started to worry. The more boosts Serperior was able to gain the harder it would be to win.

"Charizard, use Fire Fang!" Harry called. Charizard flew forward.

"Reflect!" The second screen flew up and stopped Charizard in his tracks with a roar of frustration. "Now, Wrap!" Serperior's serpentine body moved in a flash, wrapping itself harshly around Charizard's dragon-like frame and pulling him close, constricting violently.

"Charizard, Flare Blitz!" Harry called. As Charizard began to build the attack fire sprung up around his body, burning the grass type that wrapped around him and causing Serperior to flinch back instinctively.

"Get him!"

"Leaf Blade!" Malfoy called and Serperior struck out sharply, catching Charizard before he had the chance to attack hard in the face, knocking him to the side with an almighty swipe of the tail. "Now Leaf Storm!"

The powerful grass type attack thundered into Charizard from close range, forcing him backwards simply by the sheer force of the attack. Charizard, bent double against the storm, was pushed back towards Harry.

Eventually the storm faded.

"Dragon Rage!" Harry shouted. With the dual screens up he knew that any attack he used was going to be strongly resisted but Dragon Rage worked differently. How much damage it would do he didn't know but Serperior was going to have to find another way to defend against it, and as the battle went on Serperior's shields would fall and that would be Harry's chance to strike.

"Energy Ball!" Shouted Malfoy, correctly realising he needed to act. As Serperior countered the two balls of energy, one dragon one grass, collided in the centre of the battlefield with a bang, causing an explosion that pulsed throughout the battlefield and filled the whole place with smoke.

"Leaf Storm!"

Serperior took advantage of the situation. With Charizard and Harry blinded by the smoke the grass type had snuck closer and the storm of leaves, like before, struck viciously from close range, pummelling the unsuspecting Pokémon relentlessly.

"Charizard, use Fire Spin!" Charizard had been caught unawares by Serperior's attack but with his strength and the huge type advantage he wasn't going to be held back for long. Protecting his head with his wing he built up fire in his jaws, waiting as it built hotter and hotter until he turned and unleashed it in the direction of Serperior. The Leaf Storm attack coming towards him could not stand against the burning flames and though Light Screen continued to provide protection it could not stop the flames from encircling Serperior in a fiery vortex extending from floor to ceiling.

"Sky Drop!"

Charizard flew into the fire recklessly, disappearing from view of those watching. For a brief moment no one could see what was happening, the two Pokémon obscured, but a shadow was visible through the flickering flames and all those watching witnessed as it rose up, high into the air, and came crashing down with an enormous thud.

The Fire Spin exploded on impact as the two Pokémon crashed into the ground. And immediately Harry knew something had gone wrong. Charizard should not have hit the ground at all. Whatever had happened out of sight from the trainers clearly Serperior had somehow managed to take Charizard down with him.

Serperior itself did not seem particularly harmed. It slithered back towards its trainer.

On Harry's side Charizard was sliding across the ground towards him, quickly fighting to get his legs under him. He looked enraged.

As the two Pokémon fell back into position the battle seemed to come to a standstill.

"Is that all you've got, Potter?" Malfoy crowed. Harry looked up in surprise. Malfoy hadn't spoken in any of his previous battles.

He was smirking across at Harry.

"What's the matter, Potter? Cat got your tongue?" Malfoy jeered. "Surely you can provide a better challenge than this."

And suddenly Harry realised he could. Unconsciously his hand fell to where his father's Key Stone hung around his neck. There was a power Malfoy couldn't hope to match.

He glanced at Charizard, only to find Charizard was looking back at him too. They seemed to be on the same wavelength.

Harry turned to Malfoy. He'd made up his mind.

"Charizard," Harry spoke, pulling the Key Stone out from under his shirt and pressing it within his grasp. "Mega Evolve!"

He heard gasps from the crowd, cries of shock and awe, but Harry didn't care. Instead his focus was entirely on the tendrils of light that reached out from his Key Stone and the Charizardite X. The two streams of energy met, clasping together with a sizzle and a snap, and immediately the connection between man and Pokémon burned anew. He could feel Charizard's transformation take place, could feel his determination, and once the connection was complete Charizard's roar reverberated in his head just like it did around the Great Hall.

Breathing deeply, the power of the bond coursing through his veins, Harry looked across the battlefield.

Serperior remained impassive, watching his opponent with wary, calculating eyes. Meanwhile Malfoy's smirk widened.

"Finally," he breathed.

Harry did not know what he meant by that, but he wasn't going to waste his time trying to find out.

He directed Charizard forward.

"Flamethrower!" He shouted and Charizard fired his attack with even greater power than before, his flame burning blue as they shot across the battlefield.

Once again Light Screen snapped into existence.

How was that still active?

"Flamethrower, again!" Harry called. The Light Screen had to be ending soon.

"Energy Ball!" Malfoy shouted. The two attacks flew towards each other, connecting in the centre of the battlefield and exploding violently, just like before.

Harry knew what was coming, knew Malfoy was going to use the cover of smoke to attack, just like before. But he wasn't expecting this attack.

"Dragon Tail!"

Serperior's tail swung as if from nowhere from the smoke, striking Charizard viciously and sending him reeling as he hit the ground hard.

"Dragon Pulse!"

Charizard could do nothing in the position he was in but brace himself for the hit, knowing it was going to hurt but unable to do anything to protect himself. The attack struck him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him still further.

"Dragon Tail!"

"Stop him, Charizard!" Harry cried.

Serperior's attack was swift, deadly and practiced. Charizard could not dodge. Instead, as the grass type swung a purple glowing tail his way, Charizard reached out his arms.

The attack struck him fiercely, knocking the wind out of him once more, but as Serperior attempted to withdraw Charizard took hold. He held on, tightening his grip and pulling Serperior's tail roughly to his body.

"Sky Drop!" Harry called and this time he was able to see it as Charizard rocketed high into the air. Serperior was doing its best, trying to wrap his body around Charizard's, but with his tail held securely in Charizard's grip he was left floundering in the air as Charizard went into a dive and tossed Serperior violently to the floor.

"Flare Blitz!"

Charizard charged, body surrounded by fiercely burning flames, as Serperior struggled to recover.

Yet somehow, and Harry could not believe it possible, Serperior's Reflect remained. Charizard crashed into it with tremendous force, his determination to slam Serperior into the ground reverberating through their bond, but somehow the Reflect held and Serperior, though pushed back from the force of the attack, was able to rise once more.

"Dragon Pulse!" A purple ball of energy formed in Serperior's mouth, ready to fire.

"Blast Burn!"

The battlefield erupted. Even as Serperior released the Dragon Pulse attack it found itself gobbled up by the all consuming flames long before it reached its target as Charizard's most dangerous attack rose up around the Pokémon who'd cast it.

Harry watched on, unable to believe it as the golden box of Light Screen, which should have failed long ago, rose up in protection of Serperior, but this time it wouldn't last. It shattered, leaving the all consuming flames free to engulf Serperior unhindered and Harry knew, long before the attack ended, that the battle was over.

As the flames died down it was confirmed.

"Serperior is unable to battle, which means Charizard wins!" Flitwick announced, looking just as excited as everyone else watching. "This means that the winner of this year's Valentine's Day Battling Competition is… Harry Potter!"

A huge cheer went up, deafening Harry as he stood rooted to the spot. He couldn't believe it, he'd actually won. A broad smile spread over his face.

He stepped forward onto the battlefield, coming to a stop beside Charizard, the fire type roaring his victory. He placed a hand on Charizard's warm, dark skin, feeling his triumph just as clearly as his own, and he looked up into the beast's eyes. A moment of understanding passed between them as the bond of Mega Evolution broke and Charizard returned to his usual form.

Malfoy was standing in the centre of the battlefield. Serperior was gone, sucked back into his Pokéball, but Malfoy remained, waiting.

Warily, Harry approached.

"Potter," Malfoy spoke. His voice was not the same drawl as usual, yet he didn't look as disappointed as Harry had expected. "Congratulations."

They shook hands, though only for a short moment, both boys releasing quickly, before Malfoy turned on his heel and strode away.

Harry had no time to ponder his actions. As soon as Malfoy was gone he found himself mobbed by a stream of students wishing to congratulate him, Ron and Hermione at the forefront.

"You did it!" Cried Hermione, throwing herself at him in a hug that almost knocked him off his feet as Ron wordlessly slapped him on the shoulder, grinning broadly. The two of them soon made way only to be replaced by even more, Parvati and Lavender, Dean, Seamus and Neville, then Colin and Dennis, Demelza, Ernie McMillan, Anthony Goldstein, Susan Bones…

It was only after fending off an overly eager Romilda Vane that Harry was able to catch sight of the person he most wanted to see.

She was standing out from the crowd, Ron and Hermione by her side as they waited for everyone to finish congratulating Harry and clear out. She was watching him, a broad smile on her face, which only grew as she noticed Harry look her way, and a blazing look burning in her eye.

* * *

The party in the Gryffindor Common Room was raucous. It was incredibly late by the time the final battle had ended and had it been any other night Professor McGonagall would have stepped in hours ago. But tomorrow was a Saturday and it seemed most of Gryffindor House was more than willing to celebrate Harry's victory into the early hours of the morning.

As a result it had been especially difficult for Harry to slip away as, again and again, people stopped by to congratulate him. More than anything he just wanted to see Ginny, to talk as they had promised they would, but as time went on it seemed less and less likely that would happen.

Either way Harry still had something in mind and so when the dramatic reenactment of his final battle with Malfoy went wrong, Ron's Torkoal going a bit overboard in his quest to create smoke for battle effects, Harry managed to escape the administrations of Romilda Vane and slip out of the common room.

It was about two in the morning, the castle dark and silent but for the sounds of the party going on within Gryffindor Tower, which slowly faded as Harry walked the deserted halls. He reached a door, not unlike any other, and stepped inside.

"Potter." Malfoy did not look overly surprised to see him, though he didn't exactly look pleased either. "I'm surprised you found me."

"You left me to walk back last time I was in this room," Harry told him, closing the door behind him. "I thought you'd be here."

They were in the same abandoned classroom Malfoy had taken him to the night Harry'd passed on his message to Dumbledore. The blond boy stood across the room, out of the way, as his Alakazam hovered crosslegged in a space cleared of desks in the middle.

Harry glanced at the Pokémon.

"How's it going?" He asked. Malfoy favoured him with an irritated look.

"There's no way to measure progress," he bit out at him. "There is not some manual or step by step guide that'll just tell you how far you've got to go. Either Alakazam understands the anchor or he does not. When will he understand? Tomorrow… a week from now… maybe never. There is no telling."

"That's a shame," Harry muttered. Malfoy's eyes flashed in annoyance.

"Are you here for a reason, Potter?" He asked. "Or are you simply here to judge my progress?"

"No," said Harry. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"That'd be a first."

Harry sighed.

"I wanted to talk about the battle," he told him. "That and everything else that went on today."

"And?" Questioned Malfoy.

"Where do we stand?" Said Harry. "I thought we were staying out of each other's way. At least, before you came up to me today."

"Yesterday, Potter," Malfoy drawled.

"Yesterday," Harry corrected. Malfoy considered him.

"I don't see what the problem is," he denied. "So long as we don't act buddy buddy I doubt anyone will get suspicious."

"That's not what I'm concerned about," said Harry, frustrated. "It wasn't the stuff you said to me after the battle, or even during it. Do you not remember what you said to Ginny?"

"I remember," said Malfoy smoothly. "Your problem?"

"You don't have to talk to her like that," Harry complained. "You don't have to mess with her. You shouldn't."

"But I wanted to," Malfoy smirked. "What's this got to do with anything? This is hardly new for our relationship."

"No, but that doesn't mean it's okay," said Harry. "Ginny's my friend, and truthfully it doesn't matter that she's my friend you shouldn't talk to anyone like that. Acting like that was just nasty, unless… unless you do actually like her." Malfoy scowled.

"Don't insult me," he snapped. "I wouldn't have anything to do with someone as dirt poor as Weasley, no matter what she looked like. I only said what I did to get at her brother."

"That's worse," Harry told him. "If you'd actually liked her I could at least understand but… you just can't go around saying stuff like that."

"Why not?" Malfoy asked curiously. "I always have before."

"Things are different now," Harry told him.

"Not outside this room they're not," Malfoy shot back. "Everyone believes we are mortal enemies and it must remain that way. And if that means I have to insult Weasley, or indeed Granger, from time to time, then that's what I'll do. Deal with it, Potter."

In the end Harry couldn't argue. For as much as he wanted Malfoy to change he knew that, while Malfoy was mostly using this as an excuse, there was a large extent that his public actions must remain the same.

"Just…" he started. Then he sighed. "Just, try not to start anything, alright."

Malfoy considered him. "Alright."

They fell into silence.

It was weird, at least for Harry. He had never voluntarily spent time with Malfoy, not without a very specific reason or goal in mind. Normally he'd have left the moment he'd done whatever it was he'd set out to do. Yet, for some reason, perhaps just out of politeness, he was still there.

"Good battle yesterday," Malfoy spoke up. Harry jumped.

"It was?" He said. Malfoy looked bemused.

"Please, I know when I see a good battler," he drawled. "I don't give you much credit but I knew full well that I was going into our battle as the underdog."

"You might have had it easier if you'd chosen Alakazam," Harry pointed out. He hadn't actually seen him battle since he'd evolved from a Kadabra but he was certain he was an immensely powerful Pokemon.

Malfoy snorted.

"Forgive me for not risking the health of the Pokémon I rely upon for the safety of myself and my family," he said scornfully.

"Besides," he continued. "It would have made no difference."

"I'm not sure I agree," said Harry, thinking back to the battle. "Though I do have to ask… how did you keep your screens up for so long?"

Malfoy smirked. "Through a little piece of trickery I like to call reshaping the environment," he told him. Harry frowned. What did Malfoy mean by that?

The answer soon became apparent as Malfoy reached into his pocket and pulled out something that Harry couldn't quite make out in the dark, but seemed to mould to Malfoy's fingers.

"Light Clay," Malfoy explained, holding it up to the light and admiring it from all angles. "Curious little substance. It has powers that we do not, as yet, fully understand, but in the case of our battle it can be used to prolong the effects of certain moves just by its presence. Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Sunny Day," Malfoy tossed the Light Clay to Harry, "Reflect and Light Screen, to name but a few. I had that in my pocket during our battle."

Harry looked at the Light Clay interestedly, rubbing the surprisingly smooth texture between his fingers. "You really came prepared."

Malfoy watched him, a slight smile on his face. "Of course," he said. "I always knew you'd be in the final. And I knew I would inevitably be forced into using Serperior against your Charizard. I just wanted to level the playing field."

"Well," Harry said, tossing the Light Clay back to Malfoy. "You did that. Your screens were a nightmare to deal with. And your trick of goading me into Mega Evolving before you showed your dragon type moves was really smart."

A sly smirk crossed Malfoy's face.

"I'm surprised you noticed that," he said.

"You hadn't mocked any of your other opponents," Harry pointed out.

"None of my other opponents were you."

They fell quiet once more.

"You know," Harry spoke up again. "If you hadn't said anything I might have forgotten to Mega Evolve at all. Your dragon type moves were good but you might have had a better shot against Charizard than Mega Charizard X anyway."

"I completely disagree," Malfoy said simply. Harry looked at him. "I had no chance, no matter what form your Charizard took."

"Then why did you goad me?" Harry asked. "If you knew you would lose anyway then why bother getting me to Mega Evolve?"

"To force you to use your full strength," Malfoy told him. "I lost, but at least I did so pushing you to use everything you had at your disposal. Your strongest Pokémon, your strongest move, your strongest form. When victory is impossible you move the goalposts and call it success. You weren't the only winner to come out of that battle, Potter."

Harry considered him, surprised by the maturity of his once hated rival. He guessed they were a long way removed from the pettiness of their younger years.

"Well played."

* * *

 **A/N:** That's it for this chapter. I hope you've enjoyed the battle tournament and if you have let me know in the Reviews. What was your favourite battle? Ron v Daphne? Ginny v Hermione? Harry v Draco? And as always make sure to follow me on Twitter for further updates.


	28. Family Tradition

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

For the next couple of weeks Harry's mood was at an all-time high. With the exhilaration of winning the battling competition he had more than enough reason to be cheerful but Harry suspected that his good mood had a lot more to do with his time spent alone with Ginny.

They had yet to go public about the fact that they were dating. In truth they hadn't really taken the time to talk about it. From Harry's perspective he wasn't even sure he wanted to tell anyone. It was the private moments when they were together that he most savoured, after hours when they could roam the halls in peace and simply be themselves and be together as any ordinary pair of teenagers should be. He didn't want to risk anything getting in the way of that.

Although he was aware that the secret could only be kept for so long. Their friends would find out eventually, and really they should know, and Harry knew, before anyone else was told or found out on their own, that he'd need to speak to Ron first.

Speaking of Ron, as Harry wearily rubbed the sleep from his eye as he sat up in bed that Saturday morning, this was a very big day for him. The second match of the Quidditch season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, was due to take place in just a matter of hours, but on top of that it was Ron's birthday.

And it was a big one.

"Happy Birthday, mate," Harry yawned, pushing Pikachu's slumbering form aside so he could stand up, deftly scratching Umbreon behind the ears. "Looks like a good haul this year." There was an enormous mound of presents on Ron's bed, more than usual. And Harry knew why.

It was his seventeenth birthday, one of the most important in any trainer's life, and as such it was a massive occasion. It was the day boys became men, girls became women, and children were recognised as legal adults in the Pokémon world.

Ron was already halfway through the pile of presents, admiring the gifts with the same enthusiasm he had as an eleven year old, looking through the clothes, sweets, chocolates, PFG figures, and the one solitary book, courtesy of Hermione, with almost giddy excitement. It was a Quidditch book though, so not too bad. Harry knew Ron would read it cover to cover.

"Sure is," Ron told him, holding up a jumper that was obviously a present from Mrs Weasley, checking it for size. "I should turn seventeen more often."

Leaving Ron to his presents Harry turned to his trunk, opening it up and rummaging for some clothes for the day.

"This is weird."

Harry glanced up.

"What?" He asked. Ron had stopped in his rapid un-packaging and seemed to be reading from a small slip of paper, an equally small present in his other hand and a frown on his face.

"It's from dad," Ron told him. He looked confused.

"Is that weird?" Harry asked.

"Dad never gets me presents," said Ron, before correcting himself. "I mean, alone. It's always from mum and dad, you know. Never just one of them."

"Maybe it's something special," Harry suggested, standing up and abandoning his search for clothes in light of the mystery. "What does it say?"

Ron cleared his throat.

"Dear Ron," he read. "Happy Birthday. I hope this gift may prove useful. Lots of love, Dad." Ron looked at Harry.

"Open it," Harry urged. "Come on, open it up."

Ron put down the note and pulled open the packaging.

It was a bracelet. A lovingly crafted one at that, made up of several interweaving strands of wicker pulled tightly together. Ron looked confused.

"A bracelet?" He questioned, looking a bit put out. "Why would dad think I'd want a bracelet? What does he think I'll use this for?" But a soft glint of something reflective caught Harry's eye.

"Look," he murmured, quickly crossing over and reaching out to the gift. Woven into the bracelet, glinting slightly when it caught the sunlight streaming in through the dormitory window, was a small marble-like object. Ron's eyes widened.

"No way."

A note had fallen from the packaging. Harry picked it up and read aloud.

 _Dear Ron,_ it read.

 _On this day seventeen years ago it was with great joy that your mother and I welcomed you into this world. In the intervening years we have watched you grow and mature, make friends and, indeed, mistakes, but throughout all this time we have always been proud of you._

 _The present that accompanies this message is one born of generations of Weasley family tradition. For as long as I have been aware it has been a custom for the father to pass unto their son a Key Stone on his seventeenth birthday._

 _For many years this was merely a symbolic gesture, indicating the passing of the torch to future generations of Weasleys. When my father passed a Key Stone on to me Mega Evolution was only just beginning to be studied. However, in this day and age a Key Stone can prove valuable and hopefully you'll be fortunate enough to come across the Mega Stones you need to put this gift to good use._

 _Wishing you a very happy birthday._

 _Dad_

* * *

Harry and Ron didn't have much time to talk about Mr Weasley's gift - they had a game to prepare for, after all - but that did not stop them from talking about it over breakfast where Hermione and Ginny could weigh in.

"A Key Stone?" Hermione said, surprised. "That's incredible."

"I know, right," said Ron, shovelling food onto his plate. "Although what I find more incredible is how Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George all went through this without saying a thing."

"Mr Weasley must have wanted to keep it as a surprise," Harry reasoned.

"Where did dad even get a Key Stone?" Ginny asked, perplexed. "Surely they must be really expensive." Ron shrugged, though the thought did bring a frown to his face.

"Maybe he didn't buy it," he suggested. "Maybe Bill found it on one of his expeditions." He shrugged. "Anyway, what does it matter. I'm more interested in where I can find Mega Stones. I can get one for Blastoise or Pidgeot. Even Metang, after he evolves, of course. Do you know where Charizard's Mega Stone came from Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "Remus never said," he told him. "You can ask him, though. I'm sure you'll see him over the summer."

"Probably," Ron agreed, turning back to his food. "I hope I don't have to buy them. They'll be so expensive."

Harry felt himself zone out a bit, a familiar cold feeling settling within him as it always did when the subject drifted dangerously close to Sirius.

A small hand worked its way into his, giving a light squeeze that brought Harry back to the present. He looked down at it before glancing up, catching Ginny's eye as she gave another squeeze, and warmth spread from the simple touch, bringing the slightest of smiles to his face.

A commotion across the room tugged at Harry's attention. The Slytherin team had stood up and were leaving the Great Hall.

He looked up and down the Gryffindor table.

"Everyone ready?" He asked. His teammates responded with nods of varying confidence. "Then let's go."

The Slytherin team were gone by the time the seven players of Gryffindor rose to their feet. On the way out the hall, leading the team, Harry paused to clasp a hand on the shoulder of the still sitting Jimmy Peakes.

"See you after the game," Harry told him. Jimmy nodded.

Harry had decided to switch the team up after their match against Hufflepuff, intently aware of the different challenges this current matchup raised. Against Hufflepuff Harry had been confident he could go man to man against the opposing Seeker to get the Snitch and so had little need of any help from his Beaters, allowing them to focus more on breaking through Hufflepuff's stubborn, organised defence to make life easier for his much less experienced Chasers. However, up against the Slytherins, and in particular Malfoy, Harry was far less confident, and so he had drafted in a Beater that was much better suited to dealing with opposing Seekers, Dean's Glalie, and had dropped Jimmy Peakes and his Braviary to the bench.

What this also meant was there would be a first start for Anna and her Aipom.

Anna was clearly very nervous. Harry had done his dues as Captain, making sure she was willing to play, but even though Anna assured him she was ready she still looked petrified as the game drew steadily closer.

As the team walked into the Gryffindor changing room Harry lightly touched Ginny's elbow to catch her attention, nodding silently to the young girl. Ginny understood, walking away to take her spot at Anna's side.

Meanwhile Harry turned to Ron.

"Excited?" Ron asked, quickly getting changed.

"Yeah," said Harry. "And you?"

"Oh yeah," Ron grinned. "Playing Quidditch, on my birthday, against Slytherin. Can't wait." He pulled on his jersey. "Pity Machoke still hasn't evolved. Hey, maybe that'll happen during the match."

"Like last year," Harry grinned. "Though I doubt the Slytherins will try and target him this time around."

"Probably not," agreed Ron.

As he finished getting changed Harry looked around the room. His team were mostly ready, and the telltale sounds of students filing into the stands above told him that it was time.

He had an unusual team, Harry realised. They were incredibly inexperienced, Harry having been a member of the team for almost as long as the rest of them combined, but they were a mature one, especially in comparison to the team Harry had joined back in first year. With four sixth years, and Ginny just a year below, they had confidence in themselves in spite of their lack of Quidditch experience and their younger members looked right at home on the pitch.

The exception, of course, was Anna, and although Harry worried about her he could see the courage that made her a Gryffindor in her stubborn insistence that she could do this. She sat quietly at her locker, psyching herself up, listening intently to Ginny's low murmurings. Knowing first hand what a Ginny Weasley pep talk could do Harry wasn't concerned.

He shook his head clear.

"Alright, everyone listen up," he called, drawing the attention of his teammates.

They fell silent at once.

"This," Harry began, "is our first real test as a team. Against Hufflepuff we played well but we could do better, and we need to against this Slytherin team. They are stronger, faster, and not as committed to fair play as the Hufflepuffs are, which means we need to be switched on from the first whistle."

"Dean, I know I brought you in to help with Malfoy but you've got to remember to keep your focus on the rest of the team, especially before the Snitch has appeared," Harry told him. "They're going to try and rough us up right from the beginning and you're going to be the biggest thing standing in their way." Dean nodded.

Harry turned to his Chasers.

"The three of you are going to have your work cut out," he told them. "Last year the Slytherins targeted Ron, this year it will be you. Stay quick, stay mobile. With Aipom in we're much more flexible but we need to make sure we don't get caught bogged down in a mud fight. Anna, you know what to do. Pass the ball off, always be in space, be the safety net. Seamus, we're more mobile now so I want to see Infernape more on the attack. Let's take the game to the Slytherins and lead from the front."

He took a breath.

"Everyone line up," he said. "Let's do this."

The roar of the crowd as they stepped out onto the pitch was thunderous, the enthusiasm at an all-time high as it always was for the most infamous matchup in the Quidditch Cup. Games between Gryffindor and Slytherin were always the most competitive and so far Harry had always come out on the winning side. As captain he had no intention of letting that change.

They were the first team out, the Slytherins still in their locker room, so Harry and his team lined up patiently in the centre of the field. With his eyes focused ahead of him, the renewed cheers of the crowd alerted Harry to the arrival of the Slytherins.

And Harry was in for a major shock.

Leading the Slytherins out was not Draco Malfoy, their captain and star player, but a seventh year boy Harry recognised by sight alone. The boy, one of the Slytherin Chasers, smirked at Harry as they grasped hands, as if knowing what he was thinking, before he moved up the line to the rest of Harry's team.

The rest of the Slytherin team followed their captain, shaking hands with their Gryffindor opponents, ending with their pale-faced, dark-headed third year Seeker. Where was Malfoy?

That's the question Ron asked as they moved off to their side of the field.

"No idea," Harry muttered, although he unconsciously glanced up at the castle. Was Malfoy getting that desperate? "But I'm sure it isn't because this kid is the better Seeker. Tell Dean he's to focus on the team, leave the Snitch to me."

Ron nodded and the two split apart, Ron moving to join the rest of the team on the sidelines as Harry jumped into his balloon and began his ascent, releasing Talonflame as he went.

So Malfoy wasn't playing, Harry thought as he steadily rose into the air. Of course, Harry knew where he must be, working on the barrier with Alakazam, but surely this was much too big a risk to take, everyone will have noticed his absence.

On the pitch Madam Hooch stepped forward. "On my whistle! Three, two, one!" And she blew. The match had begun.

"Good morning," a light, airy voice called out over the Quidditch pitch and Harry looked up, immediately distracted from the match. Luna Lovegood stood beside Professor McGonagall in the commentators box. "I hope everyone is having a nice day."

Harry almost laughed. Whoever had thought to ask Luna to commentate was either mad or brilliant.

Meanwhile Luna continued to speak.

"It's a bit cold today, isn't it," Luna said curiously. "But the sun is out, so that's nice. Perfect weather to search for freshwater plimpies. I'll be doing that later, down by the lake, if anyone wants to join me."

It was at this point that McGonagall cut in.

"Ms Lovegood, would you please concentrate on the match," she admonished. "The game has started."

"Okay," replied Luna, unconcerned. "Infernape has the Quaffle. I like Infernape, he's really nice. Oh look, he scored. That's good. I wonder what the score is."

"Twenty ten to Slytherin," McGonagall interjected. That brought Harry sharply back to the match.

The game was very even, especially among the two sets of Chasers that were moving back and forth across the pitch at breakneck pace, but predictably the Slytherin players were much stronger. While technically gifted in comparison to their Slytherin rivals both Mienfoo and Aipom could not match up to the sheer physicality of their opponents. As it was Infernape was doing the bulk of the work, throwing his body around to show he wouldn't be intimidated, but it would only be a matter of time before Slytherin's physical prowess started to tell as the Gryffindor Chasers became worn down.

Harry cursed himself for not choosing to play Jimmy and his Braviary. While Dean's Glalie was a fine Beater his real strength lay in his ability to take on the opponent's Seeker. He was far less effective against Chasers.

Braviary, meanwhile, would be right in the thick of it and was exactly what they needed right now.

Harry was monetarily knocked off balance, a blast of wind having shot towards his balloon, and while Talonflame quickly dodged Harry didn't have that luxury.

"Oh, looks like the Slytherin Seeker has attacked Harry Potter," Luna said interestedly, causing everyone in stands to look up. "I think he was going for Talonflame though." Harry looked across the pitch.

His opponent had sent out a Yanma. The bug and flying type was hovering across the pitch from him, the buzz of its wings clear to Harry now he was paying attention.

"Usually Draco Malfoy plays Seeker," Luna commented interestedly. "I wonder where he is. I hope he hasn't been around any black mould." Worried mutterings broke out in the Slytherin section of the stands. Harry smiled.

"Quick Attack!"

Harry was surprised by the attack, having not expected his opponent to continue after his first effort had missed, and was even more surprised when Yanma almost seemed to disappear, striking Talonflame faster than the eye could follow.

"Ember!" Harry called. He didn't necessarily want to get into a battle with this Yanma but hopefully if he fired back he could discourage his opponent from continuing to attack.

Talonflame spat out his burning embers towards the bug Pokémon just as Harry ordered. And it looked like the attack was going to hit too, before Yanma shot off.

"Wing Attack!" Again the attack struck before Talonflame could even react and Harry gaped at how just fast Yanma was moving. Then he closed his eyes.

Of course. Speed Boost.

It suddenly made sense to Harry why his opponent had waited so long to start attacking. While Harry had been distracted by the match down below Yanma must have been preparing itself, building up its speed before it launched its attack.

It was smart, Harry realised, but also very stupid. With his speed Yanma would have easily outpaced Talonflame to the Snitch. But by attacking as he had he had given the game away.

"U-turn!" His opponent called.

"Flame Charge!" Shouted Harry. Talonflame wouldn't have time to attack before Yanma hit him, but that wasn't Harry's plan. As Yanma struck Talonflame's body burst into flames, causing Yanma to flinch back. "Get him!"

Talonflame shot after Yanma but still the bug type retained the speed advantage, dodging and putting distance between the two Pokémon.

"Flame Charge, again!"

"Sonic Boom!"

The blade of air positively shot towards Talonflame, formed and gone in the blink of an eye, and Talonflame only just dodged, weaving his way around the attack before charging for Yanma.

"Yanma, used Double Team!"

The form of Yanma disintegrated as Talonflame smashed through it, dozens more Yanma appearing to dot throughout the sky in its wake.

"Air Slash!" In perfect unison each of the Yanma bent their bodies, preparing to attack.

"Agility!" Harry cried as the attacks came in from all directions, unable to tell which was real and which were fake. "Go up!"

It was like Talonflame disappeared, the attacks flying harmlessly through the space he had just vacated as he reappeared again, high above the action.

"Razor Wind!" Talonflame flapped his wings fiercely, blades of air forming before him as they flew off down to the Pokémon below. As the attack connected the many copies of Yanma started to fade, one by one, before only the real Pokémon remained.

"Yanma, use Quick Attack!" The Slytherin Seeker shouted.

"Brace yourself!" Harry called. Yanma struck, fast as lightning, but Talonflame held his ground. For a moment the two Pokémon hung just feet apart. "Flame Charge!"

"Dodge, Yanma!" The Slytherin boy shouted and Yanma turned and shot off.

But this time Talonflame wasn't so easily shaken.

"Keep going, Talonflame!" Harry shouted encouragingly as his Pokémon streaked off after Yanma, leaving a burning trail of fire in his wake. "Keep using Flame Charge!"

It was a high-speed pursuit. At the front Yanma twisted and turned, putting every ounce of speed he had into trying to get away from his pursuer. But he'd lost his speed advantage and Talonflame, only getting faster as his body burned with Flame Charge, was drawing near.

A roar came from the crowd.

"Oh look, there's the Snitch," Luna commented benignly as the spectators excitedly rose to their feet. "I wonder who will catch it."

Harry looked around and, sure enough, there was the Snitch, floating into view.

The two Pokémon were at the other end of the pitch.

"Get the Snitch!" The Slytherin Seeker shouted desperately, pointing towards the golden ring.

"Now Talonflame!" Harry shouted. As Yanma turned, desperate to get to the Snitch with Talonflame closing in, Talonflame made use of the last bit of speed he'd been holding back on just for this moment. He crashed into Yanma, striking with incredible force and leaving the poor bug type in a fiery heap, tumbling through the air as Talonflame shot past it towards the Snitch and, in nary a moment, soared across the field and dropped the Snitch on the Gryffindor pole.

"Harry Potter has caught the snitch," Luna said airily, although Harry thought he heard just the slightest hint of excitement in her voice. "Gryffindor win, sixty four to twenty nine."

"Two hundred and thirty to one hundred and ten," Professor McGonagall said crossly.

"Yes, Professor, that's what I said," replied Luna. "Now that's over, anyone want to look for plimpies."

Harry laughed. He descended back to ground level with a massive grin on his face, greeted by the rest of the team who hugged and cheered with him, each and every one of them beaming with pride.

* * *

 **A/N:** That's it for another chapter. If you enjoyed please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for updates.

Until next time.


	29. Late Night Wanderings

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The party in the Gryffindor Common Room was typically raucous. Gryffindor winning was something they'd all got used to over the years but it never seemed to dampen the festivities after yet another victorious Quidditch match.

As always Harry tried to keep mostly out of it and, after surviving the initial wave of hand shakes and back slapping, he had found himself a nice resting place in the corner of the common room, where he was joined by Ron and Hermione.

Sitting there, soaking in the atmosphere as he relaxed after another exciting day, Harry felt contented.

"Hey there," Ginny arrived, walking round from behind Harry's couch. "Butterbeer?"

"Thanks," said Harry, accepting it gratefully. Ginny settled down into the couch next to him, somewhat closer than strictly necessary, though Harry certainly wasn't complaining, and clinked her bottle with his.

"Cheers."

"Cheers," said Harry, taking a drink of the cool liquid and revelling in the warm feeling that spread through him as it slipped down his throat. An empty bottle sat in front of him, his first drink of the afternoon, while Ron was already on his third.

Ginny finished her drink, placing it down on the table. "So, what are we talking about?"

"Quidditch," Harry and Ron said together. They shared a grin.

"We were just talking about the match," Harry explained. "Specifically how I should have played Jimmy. He was much better suited to the match than Dean was."

"Would you stop beating yourself up about that," Ron complained, looking annoyed. "We won, didn't we. So stop worrying about it."

"We only won because I caught the Snitch," Harry reminded him. "If I hadn't, or the Snitch had come out later, we could have lost."

"Well, that's not exactly surprising," Hermione commented. "Of course you were going to find it more difficult to score. Your Chasers barely have any experience at all, especially in comparison to the Slytherins."

"And they didn't play bad," Ginny piped up. "The score was still quite close."

"Yeah, but what I'm saying is that it would have been easier for them if I'd played Jimmy," Harry reiterated. "Braviary was the perfect Pokémon to use against Slytherin. I just got too caught up worrying about Malfoy."

"Well then," said Ron. "That's Malfoy's fault, isn't it. For that matter what do you reckon happened to him. You don't think he really is ill?"

"Don't know," said Harry vaguely. He did not want to discuss what Malfoy was up to. "But even if he had played I should have focused more on what the team needed rather than myself. It was Anna's first game and I kind of threw her under the bus."

"Doesn't seem to have done her any harm," reasoned Ron. "The whole House loves her. They thought she was great. She was, too."

"I heard her speaking with that boy she's got a crush on," Ginny added with a mischievous smile. "You know, the brown haired kid. I'd say things have worked out."

"She looks like she could use a little help at the moment, though," said Hermione. The rest of them turned to look. Anna was standing across the common room talking to a couple of the older Gryffindor boys, the two fifth years laughing loudly, and it seemed as though she'd really rather be anywhere else.

"I'm on it," said Ron, placing his butterbeer down and standing up. "Save my drink." And he walked away. Hermione's eyes followed him.

"I should go, too," said Ginny, patting Harry on the leg as she stood up. "Someone needs to save Anna from Ron." And she walked off, tracking her brother through the crowded room.

Harry scooted over next to Hermione.

"So," he said, grin firmly in place. "You and Ron."

"What?" Hermione spluttered.

"What's going on?" Harry asked. Hermione's face coloured.

"That is none of your business," she told him hotly. "But if you really must know there is nothing going on. Ron and I are friends, as we always have been."

"Come on, Hermione," Harry complained. "I know you like him. You're not subtle."

"Like you and Ginny?" Hermione retorted.

Harry was taken aback.

"What?" He stammered. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're not subtle," she parroted back to him. "Something's been up ever since the end of last year. At first I thought you'd had a falling out but then you seemed to make up, although even then you were still acting weird. And in the last couple of weeks, with the touching, and the looks, and the smiles, did you really expect me not to find out?"

Harry looked away guiltily.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't realise we were being so obvious." Hermione's expression softened.

"You're not _that_ obvious," she admitted. "Just to me and people who know you as well as I do."

"There's not many people who know me like you," Harry told her. She smiled.

"So, how long are you planning on keeping this a secret?" She asked. "You know people will start figuring it out eventually."

"We haven't exactly got a plan," Harry admitted. "We just don't want to complicate things. We like how everything is going between us and we don't want to ruin it by getting other people involved, like her brothers."

"Like Ron?" Hermione concluded. Harry fell silent. "He's going to figure it out eventually, Harry. He's not that dense." Harry shifted.

"I know," he muttered. "I just… it's not an easy conversation to have."

"I understand," Hermione told him. "I really do. And I'm not going to pressure you. But Ron will find out. Just imagine how hurt he'll be if he doesn't find out from you."

Harry sighed tiredly. "I know."

Hermione gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"For what it's worth I'm glad the two of you got together," she told him. "This is the most carefree I've seen you, Harry. Both of you, as a matter of fact, and it's clear to see why. I'm happy for you."

Harry smiled.

"You could have this too, you know," Harry told her, nodding off to where Ron and Ginny had wandered. "You could tell Ron tonight. Spirits are high, inhibitions lowered, you could have your chance to feel like this too."

Hermione gave him a soft smile. "I'm not quite there yet."

Harry understood.

"Then good luck," he told her. Hermione smiled.

"Thanks," she said. "And I think that's my cue to leave. I'm going to go up, maybe get some homework done before bed." She stood up.

"Okay," said Harry. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight."

And she left and Harry found himself on his own. He sat back in his seat and sighed.

"Hey," Ginny greeted him with a smile. "Where's Hermione?"

"Her dorm," answered Harry. "What about you? Done saving Anna?" Ginny smiled.

"She's called it a night," she told him, moving to sit down next to him.

Harry stopped her.

"It's getting late," he said, rising to his feet. "You're not, perhaps, opposed to making an unobtrusive exit?"

Ginny grinned.

* * *

It was nearing curfew by the time the pair of them left the Gryffindor Common Room. The halls were all but silent and after about fifteen minutes, by which time curfew had truly fallen and no one should be out and about, Harry and Ginny felt comfortable enough in their privacy to hold hands as they walked the deserted corridors.

They wandered the castle halls for hours, talking about anything and everything that came to mind, enjoying the freedom they had to just be themselves, without worrying about the rest of the school watching.

Inevitably, the conversation turned to Quidditch.

"I cannot believe you don't think Gwenog Jones is the best Beater in professional Quidditch," Ginny told him, looking scandalised. "She's Gwenog Jones. She's made team of the year every single season she's been in the league."

"I'm not saying she's bad," Harry defended himself, though he couldn't hold back a smile at the impassioned look on Ginny's face. "I'm just saying that sometimes she's a bad matchup with opposing Beaters. Take the Tornados, for example. One of the reasons they keep winning the league is because they have a huge Beater advantage whenever they match up against the Harpies. Florges and Beartic as a combo is absolute death to Gwenog's Noivern."

"Well, I think you're wrong," Ginny told him stubbornly. Harry pulled her close.

"I think you're beautiful," he said, wrapping his arms around her. A smile crossed her face.

"Well, you might be right about that one," she murmured. Harry leaned in.

"Well, well, well," the sarcastic drawl caused the two of them to jump apart, turning in shock to the figure that stood only a few feet away. "What do we have here? Potty and the Weasel."

Draco Malfoy smirked.

"What do you want?" Harry snapped. His grip on Ginny's hand tightened reflexively and he stepped forward in an unconscious attempt to shield her. He was not in the mood to deal with Malfoy right now.

Malfoy looked surprised.

"Want?" he echoed back. "Oh, believe me, I've seen way more than I _want_ to. In fact I'd rather not think about it at all. But, on the other hand, it will make quite a story to bring back to the Slytherin Common Room." His eyes glittered.

"Don't you dare," Harry warned furiously. "If you tell even one person about this I swear our deal is off."

Malfoy's eyes flashed.

"Quiet, Potter," he hissed, eyes turning to Ginny who remained silent, watching the exchange with wide eyes. His eyes narrowed. "What have you told her?"

Harry paused. He took a breath.

"Nothing," he said, his voice more even now. He shouldn't have lost his cool so easily. "I haven't told her anything. I've kept my word."

"A likely story," Malfoy snapped. "I can see it in her eyes. This is no surprise. She knows."

"She knows something's up because you dragged me into a compartment on the Hogwarts Express right in front of her," Harry reminded him, frustrated. "She's not an idiot. And she's asked about what went on, too, and I haven't told her. And you know what, if you were so worried about people finding out you wouldn't have skipped out on the match. Do you not realise how suspicious that was?"

Malfoy scowled. "Yes, Potter, I do, but considering my life is on the line you'll forgive me for not giving a damn about Quidditch or what anyone may think I'm up to." He huffed. "I'm doing what I can."

"And so am I," Harry shot back.

They fell silent, the very air around them seeming to crackle with energy.

Behind Harry Ginny continued to watch in silence.

"Sorry," Harry said eventually, regaining his composure. He let out a long breath. "I got… carried away." Malfoy snorted.

There was another long pause.

"I won't tell anyone," Malfoy said eventually. "You and Weasley… quite frankly I don't care. It's not interesting to me, I'd rather just forget. I won't tell anyone."

Harry nodded his thanks.

Malfoy's eyes fell on Ginny.

"What are you going to tell her?"

"The truth," said Harry. Malfoy's face twitched. "I can't lie to her. Even if I tried she wouldn't believe me, not after this."

Malfoy stayed quiet for a long moment. He didn't necessarily look angry. Instead he appeared to be studying Harry.

"You promise she won't tell anyone?"

Harry nodded.

"She'll keep your secret," Harry told him. "She'll keep it for the exact same reason I do."

Malfoy gave him a short nod. He paused.

"See you around, Potter," he said and he strode off.

As his footsteps faded into the distance Harry and Ginny found themselves alone once more, but their playful attitude had long since vanished.

Ginny turned to him.

"Harry?" She questioned. Harry looked at her. A heavy weight seemed to settle in his stomach. "What's happening?"

He took a breath.

"Not here," he told her, his voice soft as he looked around up and down the corridor. There was a door not far away, behind which lay a deserted classroom, and Harry quickly led her over, shepherding her inside as he closed the door behind them.

As he turned back he found Ginny standing in the centre of the room, watching him.

"What…?" She began but Harry held up a hand to stop her. He walked further into the room, pulling out a chair from one of the dusty old desks, gesturing for Ginny to do the same. Together they sat, silence continuing to fill the room.

Then Harry spoke.

"During Slughorn's party last year Malfoy asked me for a favour," he began, his eyes focusing down on the cold stone floor as he spoke. "He wanted protection for his mother, and wanted me to ask Dumbledore for it on his behalf. What I didn't know at the time, what Malfoy told me when we got back from the holidays, was that Malfoy had been given a special mission, a mission from Voldemort himself, to kill Professor Dumbledore."

A sharp intake of breath sounded but Ginny did not interrupt, and Harry did not look at her. After a quick breath he continued.

"That's what had Malfoy out so late tonight," Harry explained. "And why he missed the match. He's working on his plan, the plan he had ever since the start of term. And Dumbledore wants him to continue it."

"But why?" Ginny gasped and this time Harry couldn't help but look up. She looked pale, an anxiety on her face that told that she couldn't make sense of it. "Why would Dumbledore want Malfoy to try and kill him?"

"Because he's dying," Harry told her and his voice shook. He glanced away, swallowing thickly, before he continued. "Dumbledore's dying, Ginny. And he wants it to mean something."

There was silence at Harry's pronouncement. Ginny looked just as shocked as Harry had expected, her face pale as a sheet in the moonlight that slipped through the mullioned windows along the classroom wall. A sharp pain stabbed at Harry's chest. He wished he didn't have to tell her. He wished she didn't have to be burdened with it just like he had been ever since Dumbledore told him over a month ago.

"He's dying," Ginny whispered. Just the sound of her saying so sent a dagger through Harry's chest, driving the point home as if she had shouted. "He's really dying."

Harry nodded.

"And you haven't told anybody?"

Harry met her gaze.

"Malfoy knows," he whispered. "He had to, to be persuaded to continue with his plan. But no, I haven't told anybody else."

"Not even Ron and Hermione?"

"Not even them," Harry told her. He shuddered. "I… I could not bring myself to do it. I promised Malfoy my silence about his role in this but Dumbledore… Dumbledore would want me to tell them. I just can't."

Looking down Harry was caught by surprise as Ginny's hand reached out to touch his, her fingers lacing through his with soft, gently movements, and as Harry watched their intertwined fingers the barriers he'd put up to hold back his emotions began to falter. Everything he'd been fighting to hold back, the anger, the pain, the sheer lack of hope, welled towards the surface, and it was with a pained swallow that he forced the feelings from boiling over, closing his eyes tight against the pain and gripping Ginny's hand like a lifeline.

Slowly Ginny began to gently squeeze his hands, causing him to look up. She was staring back at him with soft, sorrowful eyes.

"You can't keep going on like this, Harry," she told him, leaning forward in her chair to push the message home and forced him to meet her gaze. "You can't keep trying to protect us from knowing things that might hurt. Ron and Hermione, they're your best friends, and I understand why you don't want to tell them about us but… but you need to tell them about Dumbledore. You need them to know. And they deserve it, too."

Harry sniffed.

"You're right," he told her, breathing deeply. "I know it's not fair. I'll tell them, just… just, promise me you'll be there with me. Please?" He looked up helplessly.

Ginny met his gaze, unblinking.

"Of course, Harry," she told him and she drew nearer, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Sometime later Harry and Ginny made it back to the Gryffindor Common Room. It was empty, all that remained of the wild party being the half empty bottles of butterbeer and left over party food. There was no one in sight.

Five minutes later that had changed. The two of them had parted ways, only to fetch Ron and Hermione respectively, and after much cajoling they joined them down in the common room, half asleep but curious.

The two of them sat side by side on the sofa, watching Harry as he stood before them.

Ron blinked blearily.

"Wha's goin' on?" He mumbled, squinting up at them.

"Oh," Hermione gasped, looking more awake than Ron and seeming to come alive in a moment. "Are you…?" She trailed off, her eyes darting between him and Ginny.

"No," Harry said quickly. Ginny glanced at him uncertainly. Hermione looked disappointed.

"I mean, yes," Harry corrected after a moment. "But not…" he took a breath. Might as well say it.

"Ginny and I are dating," he said eventually. He gently reached out and laced his fingers with her's, taking courage from her presence. "We've been seeing each other for two weeks."

There was a stunned silence.

"What!" Ron thundered. His face was red. "You're dating Ginny!"

"What of it?" Ginny snapped back immediately. "He can date whoever he likes."

"For two weeks!" Ron continued, ignoring her completely. "And you didn't say anything!"

"Ron, please, try and keep your voice down," Hermione murmured anxiously, glancing towards the dormitories. "You'll wake people up."

"And besides," said Harry, his voice quite dry. "You might want to save your outrage for later. There's plenty more for you to be mad about."

And so he told them. He told them about his first meeting with Malfoy, and then his second where Malfoy's mission became clear. He told them about who was responsible for the attack on Katie, told them about the poison that only through luck were they able to recover from Slughorn's office. He told them how he'd shared all of this with Dumbledore, how Dumbledore had already known about Malfoy's task, and how he had suggested Malfoy continue as he was. And then he told them of Dumbledore's terrifying fate.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's it for this chapter. In the next one we'll see just how Hermione and Ron react to the news.

To DelugeLeader 666: Nice spot. I didn't realise just how close I actually was to Ron's birthday. It's obviously a coincidence when events in the story match up with real time but it's always fun to see. On a similar note, I was actually quite enjoying the fact the my battle tournament ended just before March Madness began.

To Jacebralor: I'm glad you enjoyed, and also glad that the battle tournament came off as realistic in its outcome. Every time the competition came up in the previous stories I always avoided writing about it too much because I felt I would have to be forcing plot into otherwise pointless battle scenes just to keep the story moving. I always intended to make up for it with this tournament and hopefully I've done a good job of making up for the lack of past battles.

As always if you've enjoyed leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for updates.

Until next time.


	30. Dumbledore's Army

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The common room was quiet as Harry finished his story. Hermione and Ron did not say a word, stunned into silence, and even Ginny looked shellshocked by the details that Harry had glossed over before.

It was Hermione who spoke up first.

"Dumbledore's dying," she whispered, looking up at Harry with desperate eyes. "He's really…" She could not finish her sentence.

Harry nodded.

"Unless Snape can find some miracle cure," he said softly. "But even then it might be too late. Dumbledore's old. Older than I think any of us ever realised. His time has come."

"When did he tell you again?" Ron asked. His voice was tight. "When did he tell you he was dying?" Harry hesitated.

"First week back," he admitted. Ron grit his teeth.

"Two months ago," he spat. He glared at Harry. "Two months you've kept us in the dark. We thought things were fine, we thought Dumbledore was teaching you how to defeat him."

"He was," Harry told him. "He still is."

"And what about after he's gone?" Ron continued angrily. "What about next summer, when the Death Eaters run riot and V-Voldemort is no longer scared. What happens then?"

Harry was struck dumb. Never had Ron said Voldemort's name before.

"We'll fight," Harry told him, recovering quickly. "We'll gather up the Arceus Plates and bring them here, and then we can defeat him."

"Without Dumbledore," Ron countered. "How?"

"Ron," Hermione whispered. Her face was white. "Ron, please, we'll find a way."

"Well, that's nice of you to think, Hermione," Ron shot back angrily. "But I struggle to see how we can do that without Dumbledore around to help us. Especially when Harry didn't even want to tell us he was dying. He trusted Malfoy before us."

"Oh, so that's what this is all about," Ginny snapped. She looked furious. "It's not about Dumbledore, it's not about the war, it's about Malfoy and the fact that he knew before you."

"Of course it's about Malfoy!" Ron thundered. "Of course I'm mad Harry told him. He's on the other side. His father's a Death Eater, one of the inner circle. And he's a Death Eater too. He's got the Dark Mark. He right out admitted to trying to kill Dumbledore."

"He has to," Harry spoke up. "If he fails it's his mother that pays the price."

"Who the hell cares?!" Argued Ron. "She married a Death Eater, she's picked her side. And I don't care what little Draco says he's right in it along with the rest of them."

"He's not," said Harry. "Trust me. He's on our side."

"You want me to trust you?!" Ron yelled, enraged. "Like you trust me?!" He rose to his feet, fists clenched, and for a wild moment Harry thought he was going to hit him.

He did not. Instead he began to pace, burning a furrow through the carpet, and ever so slowly the shaking of his shoulders began to still.

"How can you be sure?" He asked, turning back to Harry. "How do you know you can trust him?"

"He surrendered himself," Harry told him. Ron stopped his pacing. "He showed me his Dark Mark. If I had gone to the Aurors he'd have been arrested and he knew that. He was putting his life in my hands, his mother's life too, because he had no-one else he could trust to take them."

A short silence followed.

"But how can you be sure?" Ron asked, his voice earnest. "Remember what he did, Harry. Remember last year. He led us to the Ministry, he knew it was a trap. He meant for us to die there and, you know what, Sirius did. Because of him. How can you trust him?"

Harry took a breath, the familiar cold rushing through his veins. But this time his mind remained clear.

"Because I was there," he said, his voice firm. "I saw him speak, I heard his words. He begged me for his life and I saw him as he was. Scared. And I haven't forgotten what he did and I will never forgive him for that. But war changes people and for Malfoy that meant realising that there is no safety in siding with the Dark Lord. He might not like or care for us, he probably never will, but while his mother is in danger he's going to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. As would all of us."

At these words Ron sank back into his seat, looking drained. The fight had gone out of him, leaving only the dreaded truth behind in its wake. He rubbed his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His question came out in barely more than a whisper, Ron's face hidden mostly behind his hand. "Why didn't you trust me?"

Harry swallowed thickly.

"It wasn't about trust," Harry told him. "I've never doubted any of you. I just couldn't bring myself to tell you. I didn't want to make you feel as helpless as this has made me feel, even if it is what you needed."

"That's not what I meant," said Ron and he removed his hand from his face to look at Harry directly. "I understand you are incurably heroic. I'm almost not surprised. That's not what I meant." He glanced at Ginny. "Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Harry's heart skipped a beat. Ever so slowly he lowered himself into a seat.

"We didn't really want to tell people," he began slowly. "Things were going so good we didn't want to complicate it with everyone knowing."

Ron gave a slow nod.

"I understand that," he accepted. "But why didn't you tell _me_? Why hide it from _me_ , Harry?"

Harry hung his head. He closed his eyes tight and let out a pained breath before looking up to meet Ron's powerful gaze.

"Because," he said, and his voice cracked. "You're my best friend. And she's your sister. And I worried… I worried that, us being together, would change things. I can't lose you, Ron. I can't."

Ron shook his head softly.

"You were never going to," he told him. "This… I don't care about this. I don't care if you date my sister, I know you'll treat her right. And as long as you do that nothing's going to change between us. You're my best friend too."

"Really?" Harry asked. Ron let out a strangled laugh.

"Well, I'm sure as hell not talking about Seamus," he told him. A smile broke over Harry's face.

"I'm sure he'll be disappointed," he murmured. Ron chuckled. Harry fell serious once more. "So, you're really okay about this?"

Ron smiled.

"Yeah," he said. "Makes sense, now I think about it. Though you better not start making out or… whatever, not in front of me, at least."

"We'll try our best," Harry promised, sharing a quick smile with Ginny. Then he glanced at Hermione. "I am sorry about not telling you both about… well, about everything. You've been with me from the very beginning. The truth is I'm nothing without you."

"We do make quite a team," agreed Hermione. The three of them shared matching grins.

Then the atmosphere fell dark once more.

"So, what now?" Asked Ron. "Where do we go from here?"

"Well, we've got to find the Arceus Plates, right," said Hermione. "And then when we find them, retrieve them and bring them back here."

"Has Dumbledore found any, Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry shook his head.

"No, but he's looking," he told her. "And I'm sure he'll fill me in the next time we meet."

"So, in the meantime," Hermione wondered. "What do we do?"

Harry took a breath.

"There's not much we can do now but that won't always be the case," he said, slowly rising to his feet. "Dumbledore has at most until the end of the school term and then it's down to us. And we need to be ready. I'm reforming the DA."

* * *

It took no more than a day for the four of them to spread the word around the castle to the old members of the DA and, on Sunday afternoon, they traipsed through the forest to their old training spot, not caring for whoever might notice their journey, and met up with what remained of the DA.

There were a lot fewer people than there had been a year ago. A lot of the old DA members had graduated, but that did not entirely explain the noticeable absences. Without Umbridge around the immediate need to train appeared lost on some people.

The Gryffindors were still well represented. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were joined by Neville, Dean, Seamus, and the Creevey brothers.

Parvati and Lavender, it seemed, chose not to join them.

There were far fewer students from the other houses. From Hufflepuff only Ernie McMillan, Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbott turned up. Meanwhile the tall figure of Anthony Goldstein, flanked by Terry Boot and Padma Patil, made up the contingent for Ravenclaw, with Luna standing off to the side.

And finally from Slytherin, garnering more than her fair share of furtive looks from the others, was Daphne. With no house mates to stand with she joined Seamus with the Gryffindors, making an odd image for those so used to the intense house rivalry. Daphne had been reluctant to join, fearing being betrayed like the DA had been before, but Harry had convinced her that it was time for all of them to be together.

Harry stepped forward to address the group.

"Thank you for coming," he said, looking around at the students that stood before him. "I know it must have been a surprise that I called this meeting, after a year of being disbanded."

"We did wonder," said Padma Patil. "After last year all the educational decrees were revoked. We had expected the DA to reform." There was a general murmur of agreement.

"Neville told us you didn't see the point," said Hannah Abbott. Neville shifted uncomfortably.

"Neville was right," said Harry, quickly seeking to reassure his friend. "On the Hogwarts Express last September I told him that since we no longer were forbidden from battling there was no need for a group like the DA to exist. Not in the form it was in last year, at least. I know for a fact that every one of you has been training hard since we got back to Hogwarts."

There were murmurs of agreement from the group. These were the ones who had chosen to return. These were the ones who recognised the threat and had known they had to prepare.

"Lately I've had a change of heart," Harry continued. The surrounding students fell silent. "I wish to reform the DA. Not as the rebellion group it was before but as a team of students determined to fight against Voldemort, a unit that will extend beyond our time at Hogwarts for however long this war lasts."

A ripple spread throughout the group at the utterance of Voldemort's name. Harry ignored it. It'd been a long time since he'd felt the need to censor himself and if the DA was to become what he hoped it would then they would have to get used to things like this.

Ernie McMillan stepped forward.

"Harry, you know I'm willing to follow you on this," he said, glancing round as though to assure everyone else of this fact too. "But is this really the company we should be having this conversation in?"

Harry looked at him questioningly.

"I mean Greengrass," Ernie clarified, glancing her direction. Immediately the rest of the DA turned towards her.

"You got a problem, McMillan?" Seamus growled. Ernie looked perplexed, stepping back slightly in surprise at Seamus's aggression. Glancing round at his housemates he found his courage and straightened himself up.

"Well," he began, drawing himself to his full height. "She's a Slytherin, isn't she. And not only that but she wasn't even a part of the DA the first time round. I'm all for accepting new people but what if she spreads word of this to her classmates? What if names get back to the wrong people? Dammit, Finnegan, this is dangerous."

Ernie and Seamus glared daggers at each other, each certain in their convictions that they were in the right, and Harry could understand where both were coming from. Many of the other DA members seemed to share Ernie's concerns.

"Ernie," Harry said softly, catching the boy's attention and interrupting his staring match with Seamus. "I understand. But I promise you that Daphne is no more likely to betray you than I am." Ernie looked bewildered.

Harry turned to the group as a whole.

"Daphne has been a member of the DA since the beginning," Harry told them, to mutterings of surprise. "It was her Gardevoir that teleported you to and from this clearing every meeting. You do not know this because Daphne feared, just like Ernie said, that she'd be betrayed, and that word of her association with us would get back to the wrong people and put her family in danger. I asked her to join us officially now and I'd like to stress to all of you the importance of standing together. We have to be able to trust each other, to know that we all work to the same goal, because soon enough we'll be out there fighting and we won't have the safety of Hogwarts walls to protect us."

There was silence at his words, every single set of eyes staring at him. No one spoke as they watched him expectantly.

"So that's what we'll do," he said eventually. "We will train hard together, train so we can be as strong as we possibly can be for when we no longer live under Hogwarts's protection. Your Pokémon need to be at their strongest. Evolve them when you have the materials to do so, we have no time to wait and let the Pokémon grow at their own pace."

"What about you?" Terry Boot challenged. "Will you evolve your Pokémon prematurely?"

"As soon as I get my hands on a Thunder Stone I'll evolve Pikachu," Harry told him. He was sincere in his words. "Your Pokémon need to have access to their full strength but not only that they need to be in perfect sync with yourself. They need to trust you and you need to trust them because, in battle, there's no other choice."

"Dark times don't just lie in the future, they are here now, and soon enough we'll be out on the front line. And the more we work together, the stronger we become, the more prepared we will be when that time comes. Nothing is as important as this. Quidditch, homework, exams, friends, all that comes second to making sure you can survive this war."

"So, if that sounds like a commitment you're not prepared for then leave," Harry told them. "But I know all of you well enough to know you won't. So from now until the end of term we will meet up here three times a week. If you don't want to be seen by others then by all means ask Daphne for help getting here. If you want to bring in other people then please do, but know that they must be willing to keep our secrets. We have no more time for mistakes."

* * *

The DA took his words to heart. Whether they truly understood the magnitude of the trials ahead - in fact they couldn't as Harry had not told them about Dumbledore's impending death - they certainly acted like it. They fought hard, challenging themselves and their Pokémon and rarely leaving a session until well after curfew had fallen, at which point Daphne's Gardevoir became useful once more.

Their numbers had grown since their first meeting. Dean was able to convince Parvati to return, which in turn brought Lavender back into the fold. The Ravenclaws, meanwhile, were able to convince Michael Corner to rejoin the DA and while the Hufflepuffs had no success with Zacharias Smith, Daphne was able to add to the numbers from Slytherin with the inclusion of Blaise Zabini and Daphne's sister, Astoria.

But, though the growth of the DA encouraged Harry, there was one person he felt he had a duty to bring back into the fold. And that was Cho Chang.

It was not easy for Harry to find an opportunity to talk to Cho. She was still friends with Marietta Edgecombe, someone Harry was definitely not going to ask to join them, and the two Ravenclaws were rarely to be seen apart.

In the end Harry was forced to make use of the fact that he knew of precisely one place Cho would be that Marietta would not. The Quidditch Pitch.

Two weeks after reforming the DA Harry, who had been made aware of the Ravenclaw team's training schedule by Luna, waited in the dark outside the stadium for the team to emerge.

They took their time, they were clearly training hard for the final against Gryffindor, and while Harry did his best not to spy on them he did occasionally catch sight of something that may be useful to him later.

But he put that to the side.

The first students to walk back towards the lights of the castle were the Beaters. They were followed by the Keeper and then the three Chasers, leaving Cho, Captain and Seeker, as the last to step into view.

"Cho," Harry spoke, his voice soft so as not to alert the rest of the team to his presence.

Cho whirled around.

"Harry," she replied. She watched him carefully. "What are you doing here?" She seemed to know that he wasn't there to spy on her.

"I came to talk to you," Harry told her, stepping forward so she could see him more clearly. "In private. This was the only way I knew how."

"Why would you want to see me?" Cho murmured. "We haven't spoken in a year." The reason that was the case hung unsaid between them.

"I've reformed the DA," Harry told her.

"Oh?" Cho looked surprised.

"I want you to join it."

Cho shook her head.

"I don't think that's wise," she told him. "Not after what happened."

"You're worried that they blame you," said Harry. Cho stiffened. "They don't."

"I assure you they do," Cho denied, her expression hardening. "I've experienced their scorn for a whole year."

"They blame Marietta," explained Harry. "And you can't blame them for that. I'm not asking her back, I'm asking you. They don't blame you."

"They won't want me back," Cho told him, shaking her head. "Even if they don't blame me they won't want me there. They won't be okay with it."

"I'll make them be okay with it," Harry told her. Cho fell silent.

Harry sighed.

"Time is running out," he said softly. "For you more than most. You're in your last year, soon you won't be safe like you are now. What happened last year… it was a mess, but that doesn't mean we can't still work together. This is so much more important than that. And…" Harry paused. He took a breath.

"I promised that I would help protect you," he told her. "After Cedric was gone I knew he'd want me to look out for you and… I haven't done that. And truthfully I can't. Only you can protect yourself. When it comes down to it, it is what you know that will see you through this war. I can only offer my help. Please, take it. It's what he would have wanted."

Cho was still hesitant, filled with self doubt that had built up from the shit that life had thrown her way, but Harry's words got through to her. A fire seemed to rekindle, the burgeoning promise of purpose visible in her eyes, and with that Harry knew she would accept.

For Cedric she would fight.

And though she remained fearful of coming back she did so anyway, with the courage of a Gryffindor, and her fellow DA members embraced her with open arms. The past was the past, they were all keenly aware that it no longer mattered. The future lay ahead.

As Cho was waylaid by Anthony Goldstein, the tall boy suggesting that they battle together, Ernie McMillan approached Harry, a letter in his hand, which he passed over to him.

The date for Harry's next lesson with Dumbledore was set.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

To Ly-Kron: Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

If you liked this chapter please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for updates on this and my other stories.

Until next time.


	31. Gods On Earth

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

"Ready for another lesson, Harry?"

It was Monday, the last week of March, and Harry had only just entered Dumbledore's office to find the aged Headmaster waiting patiently behind his desk.

"That's why I'm here," Harry commented. Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"Then we shan't waste time," he said. "Take a seat, Harry."

Harry lowered himself mechanically into his usual chair, mentally preparing for whatever wisdom Dumbledore had in store for him today, but he hesitated. Dumbledore's dying hand lay on the desk before him and he could not help but take notice.

"How are you, sir?" He asked. A small smile crossed Dumbledore's face.

"I'm doing well, Harry," he told him. Harry's spirits rose.

"Are you getting better?" Harry asked excitedly. "Has Snape found a way to slow down the poison?" But Dumbledore was already shaking his head.

"I apologise, I should have been more clear," he told him. "What I meant to say was that I am doing well, considering my condition. There has been no breakthrough, either by Professor Snape or myself."

Harry deflated. He knew it was foolish to have allowed himself to get his hopes up but it had been nice, even for a brief moment, to believe things were getting better.

Dumbledore watched him sadly. "To business, then." Harry straightened in his seat.

"So, last time we discovered the secret to Lord Voldemort's immortality," Dumbledore began. "A collection of Arceus's plates were stolen and are now under his control and imbued with his essence. As a matter of fact it was under suspicion of where the Spooky Plate may reside that I visited the Gaunt Shack and had my fateful encounter with Lord Voldemort himself." He waggled his decaying fingers. "But what I wanted to discuss today was how Voldemort was able to do this."

"What are you going to show me?" Harry asked, glancing at the headmaster's desk. Dumbledore's time plant was strangely absent.

Dumbledore noticed the gesture.

"Unfortunately I have no memory to show you," he told him. "What we are about to discuss is much less grounded in provable fact and is much more based in the region of guesswork. Although I do believe our guesses are not far from the truth."

"As you know when Tom Riddle left Hogwarts he decided to travel the world," said Dumbledore. "We know he became Lord Voldemort during this time and we suspect he stole the Arceus Plates and, somehow, imbued himself in them, although the precise method is not known to me."

"I imagine there isn't an easy way of doing it," Harry commented. Dumbledore nodded.

"Whatever Voldemort did," he said, "is something no one else has ever dared attempt, much less succeed at. We must remember, though, that Voldemort is a genius, and it is clear he has delved into realms of science that have been un-ventured by any other. In fact, you are already aware of one of his experiments."

"Peter Pettigrew," Harry said immediately. "He was transformed into a Rattata."

"By using the powerful properties of Ditto cells," agreed Dumbledore. "And that is exactly what I mean. No man has ever attempted such a feet before."

"So how did he do it?" Harry asked.

"We likely will never know," said Dumbledore. "Certainly not in detail. Though I imagine that many of Lord Voldemort's ideas originated during his school days. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to tell you a bit more about Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded, waiting for Dumbledore to continue.

"As I mentioned before, Riddle was a most gifted student," Dumbledore began. "Given what we know of him you won't be surprised to find out his best subject was Physiology, which just so happened to be the class taught by myself. It gave me a most interesting position to watch young Riddle's interests grow."

"My suspicions of Tom Riddle's darker nature were first raised in the final months of his sixth year at Hogwarts," Dumbledore told him. "As you are aware Tom released Slytherin's Seviper, leading to the death of poor, unfortunate Myrtle, and then let Hagrid take the blame. To this day I fully believe Myrtle's death to be a terrible accident."

"Why?" Harry wondered.

"Because the attack on Myrtle came before Tom murdered his father," said Dumbledore. "At the time Tom had only just learned of his Slytherin ancestry and, emboldened and brilliant, he discovered Slytherin's chamber. I imagine Seviper's actions upon being released came as quite a shock to young Mr Riddle. He didn't exactly mourn Myrtle's death but he certainly wasn't happy about it. It was the summer that followed that provided the most remarkable change."

"He didn't go by Tom Riddle anymore," said Harry, remembering how Voldemort had discarded his name after the death of his father.

"To his friends," agreed Dumbledore. "Or rather his followers. But for the rest of us he kept up the act and many, if not most, were fooled. But there was a difference to him, something underneath the surface layer, a rage and confidence in his demeanour that shined through in those moments when his act faltered. He was not the Tom Riddle of the year before."

"And, during that year, his main academic focus changed too," said Dumbledore, and as he did so he pulled out a large, heavy tome which he placed lightly on the desk between them. "I doubt many people found this suspicious but Tom became quite fascinated with this book, so much so that he convinced the librarian at the time, Dieter Smeltz, to let him keep it for the whole year. It is this book that I believe provided the inspiration for Lord Voldemort's experiments."

Harry looked down at the book with unease. It was very old, and larger than most of the books that you'd find in the library. It looked like at any moment it was just going to fall apart. The pages were browned and crinkled, fitted in almost haphazardly between the two covers, and as Dumbledore turned the book towards Harry he read the title, only just visible against the dark leather; 'Gods on Earth'.

"This book," Dumbledore explained, "is the most comprehensive guide of Legendary Pokémon to date. It is very rare and, as you can tell, exceptionally old. The author, using some rather outdated terminology, split the book into what he calls Mythical Pokémon in the first pages, and Legendary Pokémon in the back, though what criteria separates them is beyond my knowledge." Dumbledore opened the book and began to turn the pages.

"Pokémon such as Ho-oh," he nodded to Fawkes, "Guardian of the Sea, Kyogre, and the Legendary Titan Master, Regigigas, are detailed in this book, not to mention Pokémon like the Wish Maker, Jirachi, the Time Traveler, Celebi, and the Original One and the one cloned by humans from it, Mew and Mewtwo."

"Cloned from it?" Harry wondered, looking down at the spidery black text of the book as Dumbledore withdrew his hands. He flipped the page. A diagram of Giratina stared out at him.

"The inspiration for Voldemort's experiments, I believe," said Dumbledore. "Ditto's ability to transform is actually an ability shared by Mew. In fact they are the only two Pokémon to be able to do this. But even if Mew and Mewtwo were influences on Voldemort going forward they were not his main focus at the time. The Pokémon Tom Riddle was most fascinated with was the mighty Rayquaza."

"Makes sense," muttered Harry, flipping through the pages before finding the chapter on Rayquaza. The diagram of the fearsome sky serpent glared out at him. "Rayquaza is the Slytherin House mascot." He looked up at Dumbledore. "What do you think it means?"

"I have no idea," said Dumbledore. "It could mean nothing. On the other hand it could mean everything. Tom Riddle never returned the original copy of that book. He must have had good reason for keeping it." Dumbledore reached out and gently closed the tome.

"Take it," he told Harry, pushing the book towards him. "Perhaps you will find something that I have missed. However, that is all I have to share with you. Everything that I know of Lord Voldemort's past has been imparted unto you and our lessons have come to an end."

"So it's over," said Harry in disappointment. "That's everything?"

"That's everything," said Dumbledore. "In the meantime I shall continue searching for the Arceus Plates. And what I want you to do is focus on your life right here. Your time being a normal teenager, if it ever existed, is quickly coming to an end."

Harry nodded. He stood up.

"Professor?" He said, just catching himself before he turned away. "You'll tell me when you find an Arceus Plate, won't you? I want to help you get them."

Dumbledore considered him for a moment.

"Very well," he said. "When I discover the location of an Arceus Plate I will let you know. Until then good luck on your exams, and of course the Quidditch Final."

"Thanks, Professor," Harry said and he turned, walking from Dumbledore's office with 'Gods on Earth' tucked under his arm, well aware that this may very well be the last time he sees Dumbledore before he was gone.

* * *

For the weeks that followed Harry found he could not keep himself from thinking about 'Gods on Earth'. The heavy tome had taken a regular place in Harry's book bag and at every opportunity he found himself pulling it open and reading about one of the many legendary Pokémon it described.

What was perhaps most interesting about the book was the fact that it was quite clearly unfinished. On many pages there were large gaps of blank space where information should be and even where there was writing more often than not the details described were shared in a tone that suggested that even the author wasn't completely certain of the truth of his words. The very first page itself was dedicated to a paragraph where the author flat out admitted that a lot of what was written in the book was nothing but guesswork.

It was a book that would no doubt infuriate Hermione if Harry ever decided to lend it to her. As it was he was much too fascinated not to keep the book purely for himself.

Other than reading 'Gods on Earth' most of Harry's remaining time was spent working with the DA.

If Harry had been worried that people might not be taking this seriously he was quickly proven wrong. Even at the height of the DA's first run the standard of battling had never been as high as what Harry now saw on a nightly basis. Even the new recruits, Blaise, Astoria, and, to an extent, Daphne, worked like they knew every day was a gift before their role in the war truly began, and their battling showed it.

And Harry's instruction to have all Pokémon evolve as soon as possible was being followed too. Ron's Machoke was the first, evolving in one of the very first sessions. Also evolving were Hermione's Espurr, Neville's Dewott, Lavender's Minccino, Daphne's Pumpkaboo, and Parvati's Dratini.

There were still many more to come. Hermione's Buizel remained a Buizel and Harry still hadn't found a Thunder Stone with which he could evolve Pikachu. Ron's Metang still needed a lot of training, as too did Neville's Pupitar which once evolved would be, as Ron aptly put it, an absolute monster.

For Harry personally his team had never been stronger. Charizard remained a cut above the rest, stronger than any other Pokémon in the DA and, Harry suspected, in the whole school barring some of the teachers. Talonflame was more than a worthwhile peer for Charizard and even though Pikachu remained un-evolved his power had grown to rival that of many of his fully evolved brethren. Even Umbreon was amongst the strongest in the school, coming on leaps and bounds since his evolution, and together the four of them made a formidable team, if one with a few glaring weaknesses.

Harry decided to call the current session of the DA to a close.

"See you all again on Tuesday," he told them before the familiar routine of Gardevoir teleporting people away began.

As Harry returned Umbreon to his Pokéball he turned to his friends.

"Go on ahead," he told them. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Alright," Ron muttered, clapping him on the shoulder before wandering towards Gardevoir, Hermione going with him. Ginny, however, paused.

"It's alright," Harry told her with a smile. "I'll see you back at the castle." Ginny nodded, turning to follow her brother, and soon enough Harry found himself standing alone in the clearing.

A soft breeze blew past him.

"So," he spoke, his voice breaking through the silence. "Like what you see?" There was no sound in response. Harry glanced over into the trees. "I know you're there," he said. "We can't hide from each other."

There was a short silence before a soft rustling sound could be heard from the trees. A shadowy figure emerged, barely noticeable in the darkness, as it dropped down from the branches it'd been hiding in and walked forward from the shadows.

Greninja stopped a good distance from Harry, the trees behind him still close enough for him to make a quick escape if he had to. But Harry wasn't going to attack.

"How long have you known about us?" He asked. Greninja didn't respond. He stood still. "Have you been watching us for a while? This is the first time I've sensed you but the bond is getting stronger every time we meet."

Again, silence. A soft breeze blew through the clearing, ruffling the leaves.

Harry sighed.

"The world is falling apart," he murmured, allowing his gaze to move from Greninja to the trees and cliffs that surrounded him. "Darkness isn't just near, it has come. And there's only so much I can do. Adding another mystery to the list is undesirable, at best." He looked back to Greninja. "But you don't know either, do you?"

Greninja stayed silent. He watched Harry, unmoving.

"Arceus said we have a destiny," Harry told him. "Who knows what that really means but if a god tells me so then I'm not going to argue. So somehow our lives are intertwined. I can only hope it's for the better."

Again Greninja stayed silent. Harry stared at him, longing to understand, and even as he thought so the answers to his questions almost seemed to jump out at him.

"You believe in good, don't you," he said, not questioning. He knew it was true, through whatever it was that was connecting the two of them he could just tell. "I know. I can sense it. You believe in protecting the innocent and fighting the ones who try and cause them harm. You would never seek to hurt, not when you can help instead."

Greninja continued to stare at him. Ever so slowly he nodded his head.

Harry smiled.

"That's good," he told him. "Because that puts you and me on the same side of this thing. And so long as we stay true to that belief then when the time for our destiny arrives it will be as allies, not adversaries."

Until then we wait.

Harry's final thoughts were not said aloud yet somehow Greninja seemed to know he said them. He lowered himself into a crouch and, a moment later, he disappeared through the trees.

* * *

Harry's late night meeting with Greninja had not provided Harry with any definitive answers but it had laid to rest some of his concerns about the mysterious and powerful water and dark type. There was still much he did not know, the idea of a shared destiny daunting on top of everything Harry already had to deal with, but at least he felt he had a better understanding of where he stood. And if Greninja was going to become an ally somewhere down the line then that could only be a good thing.

Time passed and Harry put Greninja out of his mind. Instead something else came to dominate his thoughts in the weeks that followed.

The Quidditch Final approached.

Harry was well aware that Quidditch was far from the most important thing to be thinking about, what with a war going on and a literal ticking clock that was Dumbledore's impending death, but try as he might Harry just couldn't stop himself from fixating on the final more and more as it drew ever closer.

And, just two weeks before the match, Harry's resistance was broken as he descended the stairs down to find a truly astonishing surprise waiting for him in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Katie!" Harry gasped. Katie Bell turned to him, and beamed.

"Harry!" She cried, wrapping him in an enthusiastic hug which Harry returned. "It's been such a long time."

"It has," Harry agreed. It had been a whole six months since Katie had been forced to leave Hogwarts. "How are you?"

"Never better," Katie told him with a beaming smile. "I would have been back a month ago but I had all sorts of schoolwork to catch up on for my SPAs, and of course I needed time with my parents and my Pokémon."

"Katie! You're back!" Ron had just appeared in the Common Room, grinning broadly as he hurried over. "You're looking great!"

"Thanks, Ron," Katie smiled reflexively. She must have heard this statement at least a dozen times by now.

"Katie was just telling me about all the work she had to catch up on," Harry caught Ron up. Ron made a face.

"I am so sorry for you," he told her, completely serious. Katie smiled.

"Don't be, it wasn't that bad," she told him. "I had my family with me and some of my old friends dropped by. Angelina, Alicia, you know. George actually came to visit me at St Mungo's." A faint blush covered her cheeks. "It was very sweet."

"Weird," Ron muttered obliviously. "Well, at least you're back now. And just in time for the final too."

"Oh, I'm not sure I'll be much use," Katie told them with nervous laughter. "I'm completely out of practice. You'll probably be better off without me."

Katie's doubts that she'd somehow lost her edge were put to rest immediately. As the team welcomed her and Hitmontop back into their training sessions it became clear that they had lost none of their spark and in only a matter of days the two of them were back to top form. Their current Chasers were good but nothing could match the skill and experience of one of the longest serving Quidditch players in the whole school.

And so it was an easy decision to reinstate Katie to the team. No one could argue against it.

But there were other decisions to be made and, after their last practice before the final, Harry sat all eight of his teammates down in the dressing room to tell them the six players who would be joining him out on the pitch.

"Tomorrow is going to be a big day," Harry told them, "and I'm sorry I can't pick each and every one of you to play. You've all done a fantastic job all year, I'm so proud of all of you. Ginny, Ron, you two have been the veteran presence I've needed, especially after we lost Katie. For the rest of you it is not easy to come into a team as bare boned as this one was and play as well as you did. Thank you."

He took a breath.

"On that note I'd like to apologise to Anna and Jimmy," he said heavily. "You'll be sitting out this game. You'll have your moment in the future, I promise, but for now you'll have to take a back seat."

Anna didn't look surprised. With Katie back it had seemed a given that she would retake her place on the team at Anna's expense. Jimmy, however, looked bitterly disappointed.

"Alright everyone, up to the castle," Harry ordered, and after a brief moment the team began to rise to their feet to leave. "Jimmy, could you hold back for a moment."

It did not take long for the rest of the team to clear out, and once they did all that was left was the young Jimmy Peakes, sitting by his locker.

Harry crossed the room and sat beside him on the bench.

"You understand why I'm not playing you?" He asked. Jimmy nodded, not looking at him.

"Dean's better with Seekers," he said thickly. "You're worried about Chang."

Harry nodded. Unlike with Malfoy there was no reason to believe that Cho was not going to turn up for the match and Harry knew he was in for a tough test. They had faced off in the final before, after all.

"I'm sorry you're not playing," Harry said softly. "But I had to pick the team that would give us the best chance to win."

Jimmy nodded silently. He understood. It didn't make it any easier.

Harry sighed.

"You're the future, Jimmy," he told him. "We're an old team, most of us are in my year or above. After we're gone it'll be down to you to take the reins." He glanced over at the younger Gryffindor. "Once I've left I want you to take over as Seeker." Jimmy looked at him, stunned.

"What?" He gasped.

"Seeker is an incredibly important position," Harry told him. "After I'm gone we'll need someone who is good enough to continue to lead the team to victory, and I think you and your Braviary are perfect. You'll have plenty of holes you'll have to fill in the team once my year are gone, don't let Seeker be one of them."

Harry paused. He stood up, clapping a hand on Jimmy's shoulder.

"Hang around," he told him. "If you do then I know the Gryffindor team will be in good hands."

He left the changing room, a stunned Jimmy Peakes in his wake, and silently walked back up to the castle, thinking on how his words to Jimmy would become relevant much sooner than he could think.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed then leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for updates.

Until next time.


	32. The Quidditch Final

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The morning of the final of the Quidditch Cup dawned in excitement. For the second time in two years it would be Gryffindor and Ravenclaw duking it out for the title of best team in the school and never had there been a more even matchup.

On the Ravenclaw side they had experience, most of their team having played for three or four years, and in that time they had made a name for themselves as one of the most talented teams in the school.

The Gryffindors, by contrast, suffered from a severe lack of experience, though their hopes were boosted by the return of Katie and the fact that with Harry as Seeker they had never lost a match.

But no matter which team the students thought would win they could all agree that it was going to be a great game.

That did little to calm Harry's nerves, as he stood in the changing room waiting for his team to get ready. Just a year ago he had proclaimed, out on the Quidditch pitch and loud enough for everyone to hear, that for as long as he was at Hogwarts the Quidditch Cup would remain in McGonagall's office. Now as Captain it was down to him to live up to that promise.

"Everyone ready?" He asked. His team, Ron, Katie, Demelza, Seamus, Dean, and Ginny, turned to him.

For a long moment he said nothing. He simply stood there, all eyes watching him.

The room was silent.

"You don't need me to tell you what to do," he said eventually. He'd already said everything he needed to. "You've worked hard for this all year. Now's the final hurdle." He glanced out towards the pitch, practically able to see the stands full of excited students, and took a breath.

"Let's do this."

He walked up to the door, waiting for his team to fall into line behind him, before, without another second's pause, he pushed open the door and stepped out onto the pitch.

The roar that greeted them was louder than any Harry had experienced before. And he could see why. As Harry led the Gryffindor team out onto the field so too did Cho with the Ravenclaws at the other end of the pitch. In sync they walked to the middle, where Madam Hooch waited for them.

They reached the Quidditch instructor within moments of one another.

"Captains, shake hands," Hooch instructed. Harry and Cho did so, grasping firmly and sharing a look. Both were ready to give their all. Neither would back down.

Harry walked down the line, shaking the hands of the rest of the Ravenclaw team on the way, before he turned back to his side of the pitch and reflexively released Talonflame from his Pokéball.

"Good morning!" A voice called out and Harry glanced up to the commentary box to find a new face there once again. "Welcome to the final of the Quidditch Cup between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw! It's winner takes all between the two best teams in the school. I'm Susan Bones and I'll be taking you through this match."

Harry pondered with amusement how Professor McGonagall had obviously found Luna's performance in their last match unsatisfactory. There had been five games played over the course of the year so far and with them came five different commentators. It seemed like none of them had been entrusted with the final.

"These two teams have been the best over the course of this last year," Susan announced as Harry jumped into his balloon and began to rise to playing height. "Let's see how they are lining up today."

"Ravenclaw have practically steamrolled their way through to the final with large and impressive victories against both Hufflepuff and Slytherin so, unsurprisingly, there are no changes to the Ravenclaw team lineup," Susan told them. "Meanwhile Gryffindor won their matches by much tighter margins but with Captain and Seeker Harry Potter it would be foolish to rule them out. They are also bolstered by the return of the highly experienced Katie Bell, taking over from newcomer to the team Anna Horrocks, while at Beater Dean Thomas retains his place ahead of Jimmy Peakes."

As Susan finished with her team news Madam Hooch placed the Quaffle deliberately in the centre of the pitch. Each of the fourteen Pokémon were out and ready, the tension in the air palpable, and the crowd grew silent.

Harry took a breath.

The whistle blew.

"And the game begins!" Susan shouted over the huge roar of the crowd as in unison the six Chasers burst forward. "And Infernape gets it! Flicked away by Medicham! Gallade on the Quaffle, trying to get it to Heliolisk, but great interception by Hitmontop! Now to Infernape!"

It became clear very quickly that the two teams were very evenly matched. With the Quaffle changing hands rapidly in the centre of the pitch it took a good five minutes before the first shot of the game flew towards the Ravenclaw goalposts. The Ravenclaw Keeper, Pangoro, leapt at the Quaffle and snatched it athletically out of the air.

And so set the course for the next hour as, no matter how hard they tried or how many goals they were able to score past Pangoro and Machamp, neither team was able to open up any sort of a lead.

"Excellent turn and shot by Gallade, too quick for Machamp to react in the Gryffindor goal. Ravenclaw pull into the lead once more, one twenty to one ten," Susan informed them as Machamp went after the Quaffle, collecting it and passing it on to Hitmontop. "I knew this game was going to be close but I think the Ravenclaws will be quite disappointed with how it's gone so far. I thought they'd try and blow away the Gryffindor Chasers and build a sizeable lead but it seems as though the veteran presence of Katie Bell is preventing the Ravenclaws from pressing their advantage. Mienfoo with the Quaffle, fakes, off to Infernape, and he scores. We're back level."

And it continued like that for another hour, and then another thirty minutes after that, and soon enough both teams were tiring. Gaps were starting to open up, the Chasers not as sharp as they were at the start of the match, and play began to slow down.

It started to rain.

"Well, that won't help matters," Susan commented as the spectators became to pull up hoods and umbrellas. "I'm not sure what the record for longest Hogwarts Quidditch match is but this has to be close. The score remains three hundred and forty apiece. It's certainly been entertaining but I think it's about time the Snitch showed itself. We're nearly into the fourth hour."

Harry wholeheartedly agreed. He was hungry, breakfast a long time ago, and tired, and now that it had begun to drizzle he was becoming both cold and wet.

What's more the recent change in weather was putting doubts in Harry's mind. Out of the two Pokémon he knew Talonflame was the better Seeker. But in these conditions Talonflame's fire attacks would start to lose their potency. Meanwhile Harry eyed up the Ravenclaw Beater, Feraligatr. In these conditions one hit could be enough to take Talonflame down.

Harry blinked. He looked out over the Quidditch pitch. Was he seeing things?

The Snitch balloon was floating across the pitch, but, to Harry's confusion, it appeared completely unnoticed. Down in the stands most people were huddled up in their coats, bored and wet, and even Susan hadn't spotted anything. No one on the pitch appeared to notice either.

"Talonflame," Harry muttered, discretely poking the bird Pokémon to get his attention. "Do you see the Snitch?" Talonflame looked confused, gazing out through the drizzle. Then his eyes sharpened.

"Go," Harry murmured and Talonflame took off, gliding forward in an attempt to go unnoticed as he soared across the pitch.

Halfway across the pitch a loud squawk brought an end to his covertness. Everyone's eyes turned towards him.

"Talonflame's going for the Snitch!" Susan shouted, shocked at what she was seeing. "He's almost got it!" Across the pitch Swellow sprung into action.

"Flame Charge!" Harry shouted, no longer able to rely on stealth to get the Snitch back to the Gryffindor pole. Talonflame charged forward, picking up speed in spite of the relative weakness of the flames that engulfed him in the constant drizzle, and he snatched the Snitch up in his talons and turned back to Harry.

A moment later he was forced into evasive manoeuvres. Down below Feraligatr had taken aim and a powerful Hydro Pump had blasted up towards Talonflame, forcing him off course to avoid the deadly stream, flapping his wings wildly to regain balance.

"Dean!" Harry shouted down to the ground, unable to properly see his teammates through the drizzle. "Stop Feraligatr!"

Dean did not give a reply that Harry could tell but he'd definitely heard him. As Feraligatr set himself for another attack Glalie floated into his path. The Hydro Pump that burst forth was met halfway by an equally powerful Ice Beam, the water freezing over in mid air.

Harry turned his attention back to Talonflame.

Swellow had caught up. And not only that the two Seekers had been joined by the remaining two Beaters, Ginny's Gengar on Harry's side and Fearow on Cho's. The four of them were caught in a heated battle.

"Dodge, Talonflame!" Harry cried as Fearow went diving in, spinning wildly with a Drill Peck attack. "Steel Wing!" He yelled as Swellow followed it up. Talonflame and Swellow crashed into each other, Steel Wing met by Aerial Ace, the two moves cancelling each other out before Gengar leapt forward, striking Swellow with a Sucker Punch. A Pursuit from behind briefly took Gengar out of the game and Talonflame was forced to move quickly to dodge the ferocious Fearow.

And then it started to hail.

Harry blinked in surprise, reaching out a hand, allowing hailstones to land in his palm. Hail? In May?

Then the reason became apparent.

"Incredible move!" Susan shouted. "Dean Thomas's Glalie has used the move Hail to get rid of the rain! That will surely help Talonflame!"

She was right, and already the effect on Talonflame was showing as he easily outpaced Fearow and began his journey back, with Gengar doing his best to hold back Swellow.

And then the Hail began to fade and the rain reappeared, heavier than ever.

"And now Feraligatr's using Rain Dance!" Susan called, even as many of the students in the stands let out yells of shock, quickly huddling into their jackets at the very sudden downpour.

And, predictably, the rain quickly stopped as Glalie used Hail once more.

Harry grit his teeth in frustration as the weather continued to oscillate between harsh hail and heavy rain, doing his best to follow Talonflame's progress through the falling projectiles.

None of the four Pokémon in the air were having a good time of it. With the weather changing so often and suddenly they could not get to grips with it enough to try and focus on the match and even then they still shot out moves at each other, merely adding to the chaos.

Things had to change.

"Dean! Ginny!" Harry shouted down at his teammates. "Switch!"

There was a brief pause, the hail switching to rain once again, before Harry's message got through. Gengar dropped down from the pitched battle above, leaving Talonflame briefly on his own.

Fearow attacked, trying to take advantage, but a bolt of ice shot through the air, knocking the Pokémon back before it could reach its target as Glalie floated to their level. He floated in place, focusing for a moment, and the rain once again turned to hail. With Gengar keeping Feraligatr busy it did not change back.

"Flame Charge!" Harry called immediately and Talonflame alighted, his fire burning brighter than before, and he shot through the air, finally free from the damp of the falling rain.

"Swellow, Agility!" Cho shouted from the other end of the pitch and her Swellow shot forward, quickly intercepting him and forcing Talonflame to change directions once more, pushed further from his goal.

Harry pursed his lips.

"Glalie," he said softly, an idea springing to mind as he watched Talonflame loop out of the way of yet another Fearow attack. "Move in front of me."

Glalie looked confused by the request but did what he asked, floating steadily into position in front of Harry and staying there, waiting for orders.

"I'm going to get Talonflame to come this way," Harry continued, Glalie looking out over the field but listening carefully "When I give you the signal I need you to use the strongest Blizzard attack you can." Glalie still didn't look completely sure of what was happening but he nodded.

Harry turned back to the pitch.

"Talonflame!" He shouted, getting his Pokémon's attention. "To me! Agility!"

Talonflame shot off in his direction, using his speed boost to put him ahead of his pursuers, flying back home. Swellow and Fearow would catch him again, Swellow at least knowing Agility, but as they followed after Talonflame Harry wasn't going to give them that chance.

"Now!" He shouted and, just like Harry had told him, Glalie attacked. A whirling Blizzard stormed across the pitch, encompassing everything as the three flying type Pokémon flew towards it. "Talonflame, Flare Blitz!"

Talonflame burst into flame, his body burning fiercely, and mere moments after the fire surrounded his body he became engulfed in the Blizzard. Talonflame, and Swellow and Fearow following, disappeared from view.

The crowd waited with bated breath. There was not a sound in the stadium but for the howling winds of Glalie's Blizzard attack and nobody dared tear their eyes away from the space where the Snitch had disappeared.

And suddenly a burning figure swooped out of the Blizzard and under Glalie's hovering form as Talonflame streaked towards Harry and dropped the Snitch on the Gryffindor pole.

"Talonflame caught the Snitch!" Susan gasped, sounding as though she couldn't quite believe it. "Talonflame caught it! That's one hundred and fifty points! Gryffindor win! Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup!"

With the ending coming so suddenly it took a while for the students to react, the stands silent, before the Gryffindors began to celebrate.

And celebrate they did.

Coming back to ground level Harry was mobbed by his teammates, each one of them screaming incoherently, hugging and even kissing him in delight.

The team stood as one in a huge huddle on the Quidditch pitch, yelling and screaming in victory, and when McGonagall approached them, her Pyroar using Sunny Day to reset the weather, she too was pulled in.

Old and proper though Professor McGonagall was she could not help herself but allow them to pull her in, standing with a tear in her eye as the team celebrated and Harry pulled her into a hug.

"You kept your promise," McGonagall said emotionally into his ear. Harry smiled.

"I couldn't let you down."

* * *

The Gryffindor victory party promised to be the stuff of legends. After the awarding of the Quidditch Cup on the muddy and soaked Quidditch pitch the team were given a guard of honour all the way back up to Gryffindor Tower, at which point they were completely mobbed. Everyone wanted to talk to them, to say something to them or even just to be next to them, and so it took awhile for some people, like Hermione, to fight her way to the front.

"You were brilliant!" She said as she stopped before Harry and Ron. "That was incredible."

"Don't look at me," said Ron, clasping Harry's shoulder. "It was all him."

Hermione shook her head.

"It was both of you," she told him. "All of you. You were all brilliant."

Ron flushed.

"Hey, hey!" Seamus shouted over the crowd, climbing atop a table, a Gryffindor tie already wrapped around his forehead. "Come on you two! Don't you think it's about time!"

"What?!" Ron stammered, face going even more red. Hermione blushed.

"Kiss," Harry told him helpfully. Ron looked at him, wide eyed.

"Come on, Ron!" Seamus yelled, grinning from ear to ear. "What are you waiting for! Kiss!" He began to chant.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" He called, waving his arms for the rest of them until the whole common room had joined him in the chant. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Ron looked absolutely mortified, his face as red as his hair.

Harry glanced at Hermione. She looked nervous, a sizeable blush on her own cheeks, but unlike Ron, who was steadfastly staring into the ground, she caught his eye.

Harry looked at her, tilting his head in Ron's direction and raising his eyebrows.

Hermione got the message. She straightened up, gathering her courage, and turned back to Ron. Hesitantly she stepped up to him, surprising the boy as he gazed down at her in confusion, before she raised herself onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

The crowd erupted in cheers, even as Ron seemed to forget all about them, his hands moving to hold Hermione's face as he kissed her back, years of hidden feelings bursting through, and as the crowd surged forward and the two of them broke apart with awkward smiles on their faces, Harry allowed himself to fall into the background. He'd have his chance to talk to them later.

* * *

The party went on for hours. Since the game itself had done the same and they'd actually played across the time they'd usually have lunch, Dumbledore decided to arrange for food to be brought up to the common room instead, removing perhaps the only reason why the party would come to a premature end.

Harry was having the time of his life, savouring the triumph of his victory as he sat around talking with his friends, drinking butterbeer and enjoying the delicious food sent up to them.

But unfortunately reality would have to set in sometime and so, many hours after curfew had fallen, Harry found himself standing atop the tallest tower, looking out over the beautiful surroundings of the Hogwarts grounds with a heavy heart.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Harry glanced back, surprised by the voice, and watched as Ginny pulled herself up onto the tower.

"You were looking for me?" Harry wondered.

"You disappeared quite suddenly," said Ginny. "What's on your mind? You should be happy."

"I am," Harry assured her. "I'm over the moon."

"Clearly," said Ginny, giving him a look. "What's the problem?"

Harry sighed.

"I just needed some time alone," he told her. "Honestly I didn't think anyone would think to look for me here."

"You told me about what happened when Eevee evolved," Ginny reminded him. Harry nodded. Of course he had, he remembered now. "Do you want me to leave?"

Harry considered it.

"No," he said. "Stay. I'm glad you're here." He paused, glancing around the tower top. "Come over here," he gestured to the parapet. "Let's sit down."

He led her over to the edge of the tower but, rather than risking the possibility of losing his balance and falling, he dropped down to the ground instead, back resting against the battlements, and gestured for her to join him.

She did, and for a long time they sat there in pure silence.

Harry sighed.

"I'm sorry for being such a bummer," he murmured, glancing over apologetically. "You should be celebrating."

"We both should," Ginny reminded him. "And that's why I'm worried. When something's bothering you that tends to mean there's something really wrong."

Harry shrugged.

"I'm just a bit worried, that's all," he told her.

"About what?" Ginny asked.

"About everything," Harry admitted sadly. He glanced around the tower as he spoke. "Today was great but I can't help but think this is the last of our great days. Soon enough Dumbledore will be dead and days like these… well, they'll be over."

"Not forever," Ginny told him. Harry looked at her. "You're talking as though there are only two distinct blocks of time: before Dumbledore dies and after. But you forget that life goes on past Dumbledore. The war won't last forever. And once it's over there'll be plenty of days like these."

"You sound confident," Harry noted. "I wish I was."

"Me too," Ginny agreed, favouring him with a soft look. "You'd be amazed by how everyone else sees you, Harry."

"Doesn't mean you're right," Harry muttered. "I've known myself longer than anyone, surely I'm the one who understands my abilities best."

Ginny just shook her head, a soft smile on her face.

"That's not true at all, Harry," she told him. "You are humble and modest, two traits I absolutely adore in you, but they leave you doubting yourself." She reached out her hand, taking a hold of his with a light squeeze. "If you could only believe in yourself the way I do."

Harry looked at her, trying hard to accept what she was saying. But he couldn't. This wasn't like accepting that he was a good battler or a great Quidditch player. He couldn't just be great.

"I have a destiny I cannot fulfil," he murmured, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "People are relying on me but I cannot do what they need me to do. I can't help them." He shut his eyes tight, his breathing ragged. "I can't do this, Ginny."

Ginny's face had saddened as he spoke. Gently, she squeezed his hand.

"Yes, you can," she whispered. "I know you can."

Harry turned to her.

"How?" He asked desperately. "How do you know?"

"Because I know you," she said, and she turned where she sat, moving to her knees as she turned to face him. Harry gazed up at her.

"I know you, Harry," she said and she leaned in, placing a hand against his chest, and kissed him. "I know your strengths." She kissed him again. "And your weakness." Another kiss. "And I know you are strong enough to do this."

"You have no doubts?" Harry whispered, his lips a whisker from hers.

"No," she said, and her lips met his once more and did not let go. She poured her heart into him and he greedily accepted, drinking in her strength and her spirit in desperation as he lost all awareness of his surroundings.

It was a good thing Dumbledore didn't come looking for him tonight. This night was theirs.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading. This is my last Quidditch match of the series so I hope you enjoyed this and the way Quidditch has been throughout the whole series.

To Guest: I won't give away anything that might happen later but I will say that if Ginny does not travel with Harry and the others in the next story it won't be because of any sort of trace, since there is none in this story.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and if you did please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for more updates.


	33. The Final Lesson

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The day of the Quidditch final proved to be one of many unforgettable memories. From Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup for the third time in succession, to Ron and Hermione finally facing up to their feelings and admitting them to one another, to Ginny helping Harry accept his future, there were many reasons for people to remember this day.

Unfortunately, however, the end of the Quidditch season, as it always did, signalled the start of something far worse. Exams.

For Harry, Ron and Hermione their exams weren't as important as the ones they'd taken the previous year, their SPAs still another year away, although that did not stop Hermione from badgering them to take the exams seriously.

However for Ginny they were vitally important, her APE results determining the subjects she could take in the next year and having an impact on any potential future careers, and so she was studying hard, which unfortunately meant that Harry had barely had the opportunity to spend any time with her since the night on the tower.

He found it bothered him far more than he had expected.

Which was why he was in such a good mood on the Thursday afternoon when their last exam ended and he, along with Ron and Hermione, began their journey up to the Gryffindor Common Room to drop their bags before dinner. And, hopefully, he'd find Ginny whilst he was up there.

His enthusiasm wasn't entirely appreciated by a certain member of the group.

"Relax, Harry, please," Ron groaned, his face showing a distinct expression of distaste. "It's only Ginny."

"You don't get it," Harry told him. "Imagine if you hadn't been able to spend time with Hermione all week, how would you feel?" Ron blushed. Even though he had admitted his feelings he still became awfully uncomfortable when he had them pointed out, something Harry knew only too well. It was a rather effective way of ending a conversation.

"Harry!" A voice called down the corridor and, turning, Harry briefly felt his spirits rise. But it wasn't Ginny.

"Hi Colin," Harry greeted, trying not to sound too disappointed as the boy approached him. He glanced behind him. "Where's Ginny? Is she up in the Common Room?"

Colin looked confused by the question, causing Harry to realise that Colin did not yet know about their relationship. With it being so long since they had come clean to Ron and Hermione Harry had almost forgotten that their relationship remained a secret to most of the school.

"Eh," Colin said. "I guess. I mean, she should be there now. We got split up after the exam."

"How'd it go?" Hermione asked keenly. "It was Physiology, wasn't it." A pained look crossed Colin's face.

"Don't worry about it," Ron told him, clapping his hand comfortingly on Colin's shoulder. "We've been there. And if Crabbe and Goyle can do well enough not to be kicked out you'll be fine." Colin looked up at him gratefully.

"I actually have something to give you," he said, turning back to Harry. He pulled out a short note. "Professor McGonagall asked me to pass it on after the exam."

Harry accepted the note, confused, before he quickly scanned its contents. His expression cleared immediately.

"I've got to go," he told them, stuffing the note roughly in his pocket. "Can you take my bag to the Common Room?"

"Sure," said Ron easily. "What's up?" Harry gave him a significant look.

"I'll see you later," he told them, and he hurried off down the corridor.

His journey quickly took him away from the main flow of traffic up to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw House Common Rooms, instead leading him to a portion of the castle much lesser used by the student body, within which sat Dumbledore's office.

With Dumbledore's office door in sight he burst through.

"Good afternoon, Harry," Dumbledore said conversationally, looking mildly amused. "I see you were too excited to knock."

"Sorry, sir," said Harry, closing the door behind him. "I got your note."

"I can see," Dumbledore noted. Harry ignored Dumbledore's amusement.

"So you found one?" he said instead, getting straight to the crux of the matter. "You've found an Arceus Plate?"

"I believe so," said Dumbledore. "The Plates will undoubtedly have protection so I was unable to confirm fully that there was one present, but I am quietly confident, given what I've seen."

"Where is it?" Harry asked breathlessly.

"In a cave, off the coast," answered Dumbledore. "It has always been my belief that Voldemort will have hidden the Arceus Plates within the confines of the British Isles, allowing him to easily check on them if needed. This particular cave in question I came across during my examination of Voldemort's childhood. When he was a young boy at St Mary's Orphanage he visited the area on a trip."

"So, are we going to get the plate or what?" Harry asked, ready to leave in an instant. "You said you'd bring me along if you found one."

"I did, and I stand by that promise," Dumbledore agreed. "However, before we go I would be doing you a disservice not to warn you how dangerous this could be. The protections Voldemort has on the Plates are undoubtedly strong, designed not only to cause immense pain and suffering but to ensure that whoever may try and steal the Plate will not live to tell the tale. When we do this we will need to remain alert and watchful."

"Yes, sir," Harry told him. He understood. This was real, the sort of thing Dumbledore had been shielding him from for so long. He was ready.

"I plan for us to leave shortly," Dumbledore informed him. "I advise you tell your friend what is happening and gather up anything you feel might be useful for our quest. I'll meet you back here when you're ready."

Harry nodded his head firmly and turned to leave. He began his journey back through the corridors, heading up to Gryffindor Tower and where he hoped to find Ron and Hermione.

And he did, in the Gryffindor Common Room, and they were not alone.

"Harry!" Ginny called as he stepped through the doorway, practically beaming at him as he approached. A few minutes ago Harry would have been responding in much the same way, his heart feeling lighter at the very sight of her smiling up at him, but there were far more pressing matters to attend to.

"Follow me," he murmured to them, glancing around the moderately busy Common Room in an effort not to be overheard. Most people weren't hanging around, preparing instead to head back downstairs for dinner, and the ones that were didn't pay Harry any mind as he lead the group over to the far side of the Common Room to where the windows shone bright sunlight into the room.

"What's happened?" Ginny asked as Harry finally turned to them, his back to the window so he could continue to look out over the whole of the Common Room. He pursed his lips.

"Before I got up here I ran into Colin," he said quickly, catching Ginny up to the rest of them. "He had a message for me. It was from Dumbledore."

"We figured," Hermione commented. Ron nodded.

"Well, I went over to Dumbledore's office and he told me what was happening," Harry explained. "Remember when I told you that Dumbledore had promised to bring me along if he found an Arceus Plate? Well, he's found one."

"Brilliant," Ron muttered.

"Which one?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "It's in a cave but that's all Dumbledore told me. He just told me to get ready."

"You're going to go get it?" Ginny asked. Harry nodded.

"As soon as I'm finished talking to you guys," he told them. "Dumbledore told me I should let you know what was happening and get anything I might need."

"Like what?" Ron questioned. Harry shrugged.

"He's probably thinking about any items you have, like your Key Stone, or the white flute Hagrid got you," Hermione suggested excitedly.

"I don't see the flute being much of a help here," said Harry. "To be honest I think it'll do more harm than good. If this Arceus Plate is anything like the one in the Ice Cave then the fewer Pokémon that are around the better."

Hermione grimaced in agreement.

Ginny, meanwhile, looked nervous.

"This is going to be dangerous, isn't it," she fretted. "The Arceus Plates are going to be well protected."

"I'll be fine," Harry assured her immediately. "I'll be with Dumbledore. I'll be perfectly safe."

"I'm not so sure about that," Ron murmured. Harry turned to him, confused.

"What?"

"Look out the window."

Harry cautiously approached, following Ron's pointed finger as he felt Hermione and Ginny move in closer behind him. At first he couldn't see anything, wondering what had got Ron all worked up, then he felt his blood run cold.

"No," Hermione murmured. "It can't be." Harry felt his stomach drop.

"What?" Ginny asked, confused as she continued to look out the window. "What is it? What are we looking at?"

Absol stood down on the Hogwarts grounds far below. He was a long way away from them, difficult to make out from such a height as the Gryffindor Common Room, but once you really concentrated he was visible, the sun gleaming off his snow white fur as he stared stoically up towards them.

"I don't get it," said Ginny, looking thoroughly confused by the reaction of those around her. She had never come across Absol before.

Harry explained.

"Absol is a Pokémon that is able to sense disasters and warns people that they're near," he told her quietly. "This one has shown itself to us for years now. First it was with all the attacks during your first year, and it appeared again the night Voldemort returned, and last year too, before we went to the ministry." He swallowed. "Bad things happen when Absol shows itself."

There was a strained silence as Harry finished talking.

Hermione pushed open the window.

"Hermione?" Ron questioned, looking quite alarmed as the bushy haired girl pushed her way to the front. Hermione ignored him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm catching Absol," Hermione told him, her face set as she pointed a Pokéball out the window. Flygon appeared, waiting outside. "It's been warning us of catastrophic events for long enough, it's about time we had a proper talk." And she squeezed through the window, dropping down onto Flygon's back, and together they flew down towards the grounds below.

Ron gaped after her.

"She's mad," he said, almost sounding impressed. "Absolutely barking mad."

"She's your girlfriend," Ginny reminded him. An unconscious grin crossed Ron's face.

"Yeah," he whispered.

Harry checked his watch.

"I should go," he told them, reminding himself that Dumbledore was probably expecting him back by now. "I'll see you both later."

"Good luck," they told him, watching him go with anxious looks on their faces as Harry quickly crossed the Common Room and descended to the school at large.

Starting his descent he was quickly caught up in the flow of students heading down to the Great Hall and was forced to fight his way free, pulling off into one of the much quieter corridors as he hurried in a half-walk, half-run in the direction of Dumbledore's office. There were a few people that gave him odd looks as he went but no one important and Harry remained focused, thoughts only on getting back to Dumbledore.

"Potter." As if testing Harry's resolve Draco Malfoy's face swam into view, the familiar scowl standing out even as Harry swept past, not willing to allow himself to be caught up in anything. "Potter!"

Harry's progress came to a rather sudden halt. Harry tried to keep moving but he found himself seemingly stuck in place, his legs unable to push him forward and, blinking owlishly, he looked down before turning to look at the boy behind him.

Malfoy's Serperior had been released from his Pokéball, his thick vine strung taught between them as it lay wrapped firmly around Harry's midriff.

Malfoy let out a huff. "Finally," he said, scowling as he strode down the corridor, Serperior releasing his grip on Harry. "What on earth were you thinking, Potter? Did you not hear me?"

Harry shook himself.

"Of course I heard you," he retorted, scowling now that he'd been able to take stock of the situation. "But I assumed you were going to say something insulting. After all, this is a public place. It's not like we can speak freely." The hallway they were standing in was deserted, but that was merely a matter of chance. Anyone could come across them at any moment.

Malfoy seemed well aware of this.

"It's urgent," he said and his trademark sneer was remarkably absent. "I've been given a new deadline."

That caught Harry's attention.

"When?" He asked.

"Tonight," Malfoy told him. "And I have the capability to do it, too. I just needed to get the message across, to warn you that this is happening, tonight. The plan, this is it. Now."

Harry swallowed. Then he closed his eyes. He should have seen this coming. Absol's appearance suddenly made a whole lot more sense.

"Dumbledore will be out of Hogwarts this evening," Harry told him. Malfoy's eyes widened. "He'll be back, so long as nothing goes wrong." Harry licked his lips nervously. "I'll tell him to come back to the tallest tower," he said. "You can… ambush him, there."

Malfoy looked very pale, more so than usual. Harry hadn't noticed it before but now that he was up close it became exceedingly obvious how stressed Malfoy was.

"We should leave," Harry said, glancing up and down the corridor. Fortunately it remained empty. "Good luck."

Malfoy's expression sharpened. "You too."

They parted ways. As Malfoy turned back, returning his Serperior, Harry hurried on up the corridor, now even more reason for him to hurry to return to Dumbledore's Office.

A couple of minutes later he was there and he pushed open the door.

"Again, I applaud the enthusiasm," Dumbledore began, chuckling slightly before he caught the look on Harry's face. He fell sombre. "What's the matter?"

"Draco Malfoy is going to kill you tonight," Harry told him. Dumbledore's cheerful expression faded completely now. "Voldemort gave him a new deadline."

"I see," said Dumbledore softly. "And I trust that young Mr Malfoy has a way of succeeding in his plan? As I recall you never specified how he was planning to kill me."

"His Alakazam has been working on integrating himself with the shield that stops people from teleporting in," Harry explained. "Malfoy's going to bring Death Eaters into the school and ambush you. I told him you'd return to the tallest tower."

Dumbledore nodded slowly.

"Then that is what I must do," he said, a note of tiredness in his voice. "In the meantime I have drafted in various professors and Legion members to patrol the school while I'm gone. With that, and the guiding hand of Mr Malfoy, hopefully we can pull off this little scheme without any of the students getting involved. Unfortunately that is all I can do." Dumbledore's eyes focused on Harry.

"Tonight has suddenly taken on a much higher degree of importance," he said. "And a much higher degree of difficulty for you, Harry. I apologise but I need to ask you to do something that is fundamentally against your very nature. I need you to allow me to die."

"Yes, sir," Harry said, his voice breaking slightly. Suddenly everything seemed a lot more real. "I know, sir."

Dumbledore looked at him sadly.

"Tonight marks the end of the first stage of this war," he said softly. "From tomorrow it will begin anew. And while I wish I could do more my time is at an end. So please, allow me to help you one last time."

And as he said those words his Alakazam appeared in the room and a moment later they were gone.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. If you've enjoyed this chapter then please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for updates.

Until next time.


	34. The Arceus Plate

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

They appeared on a large boulder, the stone jutting awkwardly up beneath their feet, and they were greeted in this new location by a strong gust of wind and a roll of thunder. Rain lashed down upon them, soaking them within seconds, and rough, choppy waters crashed into the boulder all around them, spraying up into their faces as they stood, cut off from dry land.

"Unfortunately we cannot venture any further by means of teleportation," Dumbledore spoke from beside him, raising his voice over the crash of the waves as he returned Alakazam. He turned, facing towards land, and the enormous cliff face that stood in their way. "In fact I believe teleportation to be impossible even once we are inside. As a security measure it seems only natural."

Harry agreed, that made a lot of sense. On the other hand he was confused as to where exactly they were supposed to be heading. In the gloomy light he could see nothing but dark stone of the cliff face through the spray of the sea and the lashing rain.

"There," Dumbledore pointed and a helpful crack of lightning briefly illuminated the cliff face. As Dumbledore had said there was an opening, barely visible with the rough conditions around them, but now that Harry knew where it was he could just about make it out.

"How do we get in?" Harry called, wrapping his arms tighter around himself as the wind picked up a notch. The opening didn't appear very large and Harry had no delusions that he could swim up there against the tide.

"We fly," Dumbledore informed him and he released his Dragonite. Harry looked at him doubtfully. "Trust me, it is possible. I have done this before."

And Harry did trust him. He called out his Charizard, the fire type standing resolute even amidst the terrible conditions, and as Harry climbed upon his back they followed Dumbledore and Dragonite as they flew towards the rock face and through the crack that led into the cave beyond.

It was a tight fit but, as Dumbledore had promised, it was large enough for both Charizard and Dragonite to successfully navigate their way through. The two Pokémon alighted gently in the cave beyond, their respective trainers dismounting, and as he did so Harry examined the cave.

It appeared to be completely empty. It was large, stretching further than Harry had initially anticipated, but even then he could still make out every nook and cranny and there was absolutely nothing to suggest that anything, let alone an Arceus Plate, was hidden there.

He turned to Dumbledore. "Are you sure we're in the right place?" He asked. Dumbledore smiled.

"Very sure," he said calmly. "As I said I've been this far before. The Arceus Plate is here, or rather, just beyond here. Hidden in a rather ingenious way."

"Then where is it?" Harry asked. In answer Dumbledore pulled a Pokéball from his belt and opened it.

"Chime!" Chimecho called cheerfully, floating into the air as she appeared. Harry frowned.

"There is a hidden entrance," Dumbledore explained, smiling at Harry's confused look. "Which leads on to an even larger chamber. It is there that the Arceus Plate resides."

"And how do we find this chamber?" Harry asked, eyeing Chimecho curiously.

"Through the power of sound waves," Dumbledore answered. He looked around. "You see, the entrance is very well disguised. You'd be hard pressed to find it. But due to Chimecho's unique physiology she can use sound waves to judge the density of the rock around us, and more significantly find the spot where there is a space behind the rock itself." Dumbledore looked rather pleased as he said this. "Just watch." He nodded to Chimecho.

Harry watched curiously as Chimecho began to float towards a portion of the cave wall, clearly already having a very good idea of where the entrance was. Dumbledore had been here before, after all. And as she reached the wall she began to chime.

The sound was awfully calming, almost like a lullaby as Chimecho steadily moved across the rock face, continuing to emit her soothing call, before eventually she came to a stop, and fell silent.

Chimecho's eyes began to glow and, all of a sudden, a large chunk of rock appeared to light up in the same colour and started to shift out of place. It lifted ever so slightly into the air with a soft rumble and came to settle a few feet away, revealing the space behind it.

It was very dark, Harry couldn't make out much, but it wasn't pitch black. A soft bluish light seemed to be glowing from within and, even though he was aware of the risks involved in their mission, it intrigued him.

"Thank you, Chimecho," said Dumbledore softly, returning the psychic type. Brought back to reality Harry moved to return Charizard.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, Harry," Dumbledore said quickly, stopping Harry short. "You'll be needing Charizard in just a moment. You'll soon see why." And without another word Dumbledore walked off into the darkness.

Harry and Charizard shared a look. Walking into the unknown seemed a bad idea but Dumbledore had already left. He did not seem even remotely concerned of what lay in the darkness. And so Harry, with Charizard behind him, followed Dumbledore and Dragonite through the tunnel.

Harry's mouth fell open.

Whatever he had expected was hidden behind the rock paled in comparison to what he found. He was standing on the edge of an enormous lake, water lapping gently onto the stones only a few feet away. It spread far in all directions, neither the walls nor ceiling of the cavern fully visible from where they stood as that steady blue light glowed from out on the middle of the lake.

"This is as far as I got last time," Dumbledore announced, gazing out curiously across the lake. "I have flown overhead of course, but I have not landed on the island in the middle of the lake, from where the glow originates, for fear of activating any further defences."

"What is it?" Harry asked. "The glow."

"An Arceus Plate," Dumbledore answered simply. "The Splash Plate, I believe. You see the lake, of course. In fact the lake is precisely the reason I have not ventured further."

"The Pokémon," Harry realised, a short gasp falling from his mouth as he gazed out too, remembering his trip into the Ice Cave. "If they think the Plate is under threat they'll stop us from taking it."

"Quite," Dumbledore agreed. "And while they have done nothing to trouble us so far I am under no illusion that will continue. I do not know whether merely getting too close to the Plate will cause them to act and so I have kept my distance, until I could bring you along to help."

"Now," he said simply. "Let's go."

The two of them mounted their respective Pokémon, Harry mentally preparing himself for a fight, and they took off, soaring towards their destination as the faint glow emanating from the centre of the lake guided them forward.

They landed, Charizard and Dragonite touching down softly, and nothing happened.

"It appears it'll take more for the Pokémon of the lake to get involved," Dumbledore commented, dropping to the ground. Harry did likewise, and looked around.

The island they found themselves on was not large. It was about the size of one of Hogwarts's classrooms, though that may have been misleading as there was little there to make it feel cramped. Water rippled around the jagged edges of the island but the only thing upon it was a simple stone pedestal, much like there had been in the Ice Cave, upon which lay a basin, filled with water, from which the blue light glowed.

"Fascinating," Dumbledore murmured and Harry moved over to join him, gazing down into the bowl. "Absolutely fascinating."

Lying within the confines of the basin was a plate of pure blue.

"Is this it?" Harry breathed, unable to believe he was standing so close. "The Arceus Plate." Dumbledore nodded.

"It is," he said. "And how marvellous it is too. The power of the Arceus Plates is barely understood but as we can see here there is a clear reaction between the Plate and the element it is linked with. Quite brilliant, providing a light that will allow Voldemort to check the Plate without even having to fly to the island." Dumbledore rubbed his beard. "And of course once removed the light will disappear, plunging any potential thief into darkness."

"Charizard can keep the light," Harry assured him. Charizard rumbled in response, the flame on his tail growing brighter as if to prove himself up to the task.

"Agreed," said Dumbledore. "And once we take the Plate we better make haste, ride Charizard and Dragonite out of here, and once beyond the cave have Alakazam teleport us to safety." It all sounded so simple.

"So that's the plan," said Harry, quickly rolling up his sleeve. "Three, two, one." And he reached towards the basin.

Dumbledore's hand shot out of nowhere, grasping ahold of Harry's wrist with a tight grip as his hand was just about to touch the surface of the liquid. Harry looked up, shocked.

"Not so fast, Harry," Dumbledore said gently, although his grip remained strong. "I wouldn't be so keen to touch the liquid in that bowl, if I were you. While some of it is most surely water I do not doubt that Voldemort would have added something extra, something I am sure you do not want to touch." And before Harry could say anything Dumbledore took his dead, blackened hand and dipped his fingers into the substance.

"Ouch," he said, retreating his fingers quickly. Some of the substance seemed to come away with it, sizzling softly against his flesh.

"Professor?" Harry gasped. "Professor, are you alright?"

"Perfectly," Dumbledore said benignly, even as he examined his blackened fingers with morbid curiosity. "It seems my prediction was accurate."

"What is it?" Harry asked, eyeing up the liquid with much more caution. He had almost dunked his whole hand in it.

"Some sort of corrosive substance," Dumbledore replied, not looking overly concerned. "The exact nature is unimportant. All that matters is that no one will be able to touch the Splash Plate without suffering incredible pain."

"So how are we going to get it?" Harry asked. "We could try tipping the bowl. Maybe we can drain the liquid out."

"Which would merely serve to spring the rest of the defences," Dumbledore told him. "See the cracks in the ground beneath our feet. Any liquid poured upon it will immediately funnel into the lake itself. And once water that has been so thoroughly exposed to the Splash Plate enters the lake every Pokémon in this cavern will be well aware that they are under attack."

Harry looked around.

"Why aren't they attacking now?" He asked. "Surely they know we are here?" The lake around them remained eerily still.

Dumbledore looked over at him.

"Because they are not evil, Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "They do not want to hurt us. They will attack us only as a last resort, and they will give us all the opportunity possible to abandon our quest and leave unharmed. But the moment we pull the Plate from this liquid they will have no other choice. And you can understand, we are stealing the very lifeblood of this ecosystem."

Harry swallowed. The danger of the yet unseen Pokémon around them just seemed to escalate in his mind. How many Pokémon even were there? A hundred? A thousand? Who knew how far the lake stretched or how deep it went.

"The takeaway from this," Dumbledore continued softly, "is that we need to be quick. Speed is of the essence." Dumbledore began to roll up his sleeves.

"Professor, what are you doing?" Harry asked worriedly.

"I am going to retrieve the Splash Plate," Dumbledore replied helpfully, the blue glow of the basin illuminating his face as he stood over it. "When I pull it out be ready to run."

"Professor, no," Harry objected. "You can't put your hand in that."

"It will be painful," Dumbledore agreed. "Which is why it may come down to you to ensure the Splash Plate is removed from this chamber. Once I have pulled it out my hand may not function quite as I'd hope it would."

"Professor," Harry continued to complain but Dumbledore held up his hand.

A soft smile crossed his face.

"I appreciate your worry, Harry," he told him gently. "But my life is now measured in minutes rather than days. I soon will be unable to help you, allow me to do so now."

Harry fell silent. He didn't want Dumbledore to put himself through this but he understood. And so he kept his protests to himself as Dumbledore reached out his deadened hand, took a breath, and reached into the basin.

"AHHhhhhhh!" Dumbledore screamed, the sound unlike any Harry had heard before. His eyes were wide, his mouth open, and Harry watched stunned as he seemed to freeze in place, his face showing sheer agony, before suddenly, in a quick burst of movement, he whipped his hand free. He fell backwards, cradling his deadened hand to his chest, while the Splash Plate fell unnoticed from his grip to land on the rock below.

"Professor!" Harry cried in shock, hurrying over and falling to his knees by Dumbledore's side. "Professor, are you alright? Talk to me."

But Dumbledore did not seem capable of talking at all. He desperately clutched at his hand, tears leaking from his eyes and he curled up into a tight ball, flinching against the all consuming agony.

"Professor?!"

"The Plate," Dumbledore's voice rasped from somewhere beneath his coat. "Get the Plate."

Harry looked around. The Splash Plate was lying near the stone plinth and Harry reached out to grab it.

He flinched violently.

"Sir!" He cried, panicked. "Sir, it's still wet! I can't touch it! Sir, help!"

But there was going to be no help coming from Albus Dumbledore. The man was barely visible beneath his coat, whimpering as he tried to make himself as small as physically possible.

It was all down to Harry.

He looked around, panicked. They were still alone, the Pokémon of the lake seemed not to have realised what they were doing, but still they were trapped, unable to transport the Splash Plate away from the island without enduring pure agony, and Harry knew by Dumbledore's reaction that he was not strong enough to carry it. If only he had a water Pokémon to rinse the Plate…

Harry looked out over the water. Of course. It was his only option.

Taking a deep breath Harry prepared himself, doing his best to focus his mind on what mattered, before he grasped on to the Splash Plate.

Pain shot through his hand, tears threatening to fall from his eyes as he screwed his face up against the pain. Forcing his way through, pushing the pain aside, he rushed to the water's edge and dunked his hand into the lake.

Instant relief flowed through his body. His muscles automatically relaxed. His screwed up eyes opened, able to look out on the world freely once more, and he watched in awe as the blue glow emanating from the Splash Plate spread throughout the lake before him.

He pulled back his hand.

An arm stretched from the water, grabbing ahold of Harry's wrist and slamming it down hard into the rock. Harry gasped, the air knocked from his lungs as he was pulled downwards, and he looked out into the lake to the menacing eyes of a Swampert.

"Drago!" Dragonite roared. A twister shot forward over Harry's shoulder, slamming into Swampert who was knocked back, disappearing underwater as it was forced to release its grip. Harry back-pedalled sharply, only stopping when his back hit the stone plinth, his heart pounding.

Shakily, Harry stood up and looked around the cavern with wide eyes.

The lake was churning. All around their small spot of land there was movement on the surface of the water as the denizens of the lake came alive. Harry watched in terror as the first of them - Golduck, Octillery, Kabutops, Crawdaunt, Walrein, Carracosta - began to climb aboard the island.

"Char!" Charizard roared, burning flames at the approaching Pokémon as Dragonite did the same on Harry's other side. The Pokémon were brought short by the attacks, at least for the moment, but there were just too many of them, more and more joining those that already began to creep across the island.

They needed to leave.

"Dragonite!" Harry called, getting the dragon type's attention as he finished blasting a Thunderbolt along the water's edge. "Dragonite, get Dumbledore out of here!"

Dumbledore remained curled up in a ball, unresponsive but for his body's quivering and his own pained whimpers. Dragonite needed only to glance at his trainer for him to be convinced. He turned immediately, scooping the elderly man into his arms, and he shot across the cavern.

Watching Dragonite go Harry worried as jets of water shot up after him, joined by the occasional ice type attack, launched by Pokémon in the lake still obscured from Harry's view. Harry could only hope he would get away.

The situation back on the island was only getting worse.

"Pikachu, go!" Harry shouted, releasing the electric type into battle in the place Dragonite had just vacated. The Pokémon that had been held back before had taken the opportunity to draw closer and Pikachu quickly let loose several short blasts of electricity to push them back.

On the other side Charizard continued to fight, but it was quickly proving to be an impossible struggle. Charizard was strong, throwing everything at the Pokémon who dared to get too close, fire burning across the island's edge, but that didn't stop the range attacks from flying in and Charizard, unable to dodge lest the attacks hit Harry, was doused again and again.

Harry knew he was in a desperate situation. He grappled in his pockets, panicked, searching for anything that might help, but his hands came up with nothing.

Think. Think. What could he do?

And then it hit him.

"Pikachu, use Light Screen!" Harry instructed. A moment later the three of them, Harry, Pikachu and Charizard, became surrounded by a large golden cube. It encompassed most of the island, Harry in the centre as it stretched to cover both of the Pokémon, and all of a sudden the ranged attacks fired Charizard's way splashed uselessly against this new shield.

Charizard roared.

"Let's go!" Harry shouted, rushing over to Charizard. The fire type let out a tremendous blast, forcing the attacking Pokémon back, and Harry jumped up between his wings, ready to leave.

"Pikachu, clear them out with Thunder!" He instructed, turning back to where his electric type continued to hold back the Pokémon opposite.

Pikachu stood by the very edge of the Light Screen, facing up against the many hulking water types that leered down on him, ready to take him out. His cheeks crackled, electricity snapping around his form, and as the Pokémon advanced Pikachu let loose his attack.

An enormous bolt of lightning thundered through the rock at his feet, breaking off large portions of the island where the advancing Pokémon stood and engulfing them in the attack. He put everything he had into the blast, his body straining to release every last bit of stored up electricity he had to direct it at the Pokémon in front of him.

For a moment everything seemed to fall still, the electric attack dazzling the whole cavern, before a dark figure moved through it. The figure struck Pikachu, sending the electric mouse flying to land at Charizard's feet, and shook sharply to rid itself of the sparks that surrounded it.

It was Swampert again, the part ground type unaffected by Pikachu's attacks, and as Pokémon began to rise up beside it once more and Pikachu dragged himself to his feet Swampert leapt forward.

For a moment Swampert hung in midair, looking destined to crash into them, before it seemed to collide hard with something unseen. An invisible barrier.

Swampert fell to the ground, shaking itself violently to clear its head, and it glared forward.

"What…?" Harry glanced around in shock. Mere feet from him, standing in a spot Harry had been quite sure had simply been empty just a moment ago, was a Mr Mime, hands held before it as it stared down Swampert.

Though thoroughly confused Harry's head started to clear.

"Pikachu," he said, catching the electric type's attention and gesturing him to climb aboard Charizard's back as Mr Mime went about erecting more barriers, surrounding their small portion of land completely. The various Pokémon pressing towards them banged on the barriers angrily, trying to break them down by force, as Charizard prepared to take off.

"Mr Mime!" Harry called, not understanding where the Pokémon had come from or what it was doing here but knowing it had come to his aide nevertheless. "Come with me! Take my hand!" Mr Mime looked hesitant, for reasons Harry couldn't even begin to comprehend, but slowly he extended his hand to Harry's.

There was a loud clatter, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Swampert was beginning to break through.

"Quick!" Harry yelled, feeling Charizard crouching beneath him ready to take off. In front of them Swampert roared, his Brick Break attack decimating the barrier. "Now, Mr Mime!"

Mr Mime reached out, panic forcing him into action, and Harry took a hold of his hand.

Charizard took off.

"NO!" Harry cried as suddenly Mr Mime's hand was wrenched from his grasp. Swampert stood over him, flattening him to the ground as it glared up at Harry, preparing to leap on after them, and Charizard roared as he sped off, not willing to risk staying there another moment.

All around bodies leapt after them, desperately trying to pull Charizard back and drag him down into the water, and Charizard was forced to kick out, swiping his tail furiously and firing blasts of flame back at his pursuers as he broke through and soared across the cavern.

"Light Screen!" Harry shouted as jets of water followed their progress, trying to shoot Charizard down as he crossed the great lake, but the golden cube, destroyed by Swampert's Brick Break, sprang into being once more, deflecting the attacks as Charizard continued to fly unimpeded to the exit.

Down below various water types were following their movements, chasing them across the cavern. An enormous Gyarados broke the water, snapping at Charizard only to be put off as Pikachu blasted a bolt of lightning at it, before a Milotic popped it's head up, a Hydro Pump forcing Charizard to swerve as it shot past him, causing rocks in the ceiling above to start falling across their path.

"There!" Harry cried, pointing as the exit came into view, and without needing to be told Charizard swooped towards it, swiping a Huntail aside with ease as Pikachu countered the blast of a nearby Tentacruel. With the tunnel mere feet away Charizard thundered through it, his feet briefly slamming into the ground, threatening to dislodge Harry, before he kicked off, into the cave beyond, and out into the open air once more.

They flew to the rock on which they'd arrived, the rain continuing to lash down on them as the storm had not abated, and as Charizard landed heavily Harry jumped from his back.

"Professor!" He cried, hurrying over to where the old man lay, Dragonite standing worriedly over him.

"Harry," Dumbledore gasped and immediately Harry felt himself breath a sigh of relief.

"You're okay!" Harry shouted. Dumbledore gave a tired nod.

"Harry," he said again, his voice still weak. "Alakazam."

"Oh, right," said Harry, understanding quickly and hurrying to the Pokéballs on Dumbledore's belt.

"Second on the left," Dumbledore wheezed and Harry grabbed it, releasing the Pokémon within.

Alakazam appeared with a silent calm, so out of place in the ongoing storm. He looked over the scene, seeming to understand immediately what had happened, and a moment later the people and Pokémon disappeared.

* * *

 **A/N:** That's it for this chapter, sorry for the slight delay. If you enjoyed please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for more updates.


	35. The Tallest Tower

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

They reappeared in a small copse of trees; Harry, Dumbledore, Alakazam, Dragonite, Charizard and Pikachu. Everything was quiet, even the weather was much calmer than it had been down on the coast, and Harry looked around in confusion.

"Where are we?" He did not recognise this location at all.

"Hogwarts, my dear boy," the wizened voice of Dumbledore sounded from behind him and Harry turned. "Or very close to Hogwarts, at least." Dumbledore was sitting up now, supported gently by Dragonite, and looked to be regaining some of his old strength.

"I don't understand," said Harry. "What are we doing here? You need medical attention. Why aren't we in the hospital wing?" Dumbledore favoured him with a sorrowful look.

"You have forgotten," he said softly, his eyes filled with pain as they gazed upon him. "Medical attention when applied to me is attention wasted. We have a plan, Harry."

Harry gulped.

"But," he complained, even though he didn't know what to argue. "But your hand. You need healing. You need help. You need Madam Pomfrey. You…" He stopped, the full weight of what was about to happen settling upon him. "You can't."

"I'm afraid I have no choice," Dumbledore said sadly. "We knew this time would come. Well, now it's here."

"But you can't leave," Harry told him desperately. "We need you. I need you. I'm not ready to do this on my own. I need your help."

"As I remember it, it was I who needed your help," Dumbledore reminded him with a soft chuckle. "You retrieved the Splash Plate tonight, Harry. Not me. And you will never, truly, be doing this on your own." He looked past Harry, to where Charizard and Pikachu were standing, and inclined his head.

Harry shook his head. He couldn't do this.

"You've done so much," he said, his voice cracking. "You've stopped him, so many times, pretty much all on your own. You're the only one he's ever been afraid of. You… you can't die. Not now. Not yet."

Dumbledore let out a weary sigh.

"If only that were true," he said quietly. "If only."

He tried to climb to his feet, but his body seemed to be too heavy for his strength to lift him, and quickly Dragonite moved to help, allowing his trainer to lean against him for support.

"Death must come for us all," Dumbledore said, his voice gaining in strength now he was standing. "I've had a good life. I wish I could stay longer to help but the truth is you don't need my help. But someone does." He stared off through the trees, looking up into the sky, and, turning, Harry found himself looking at the top of one of Hogwarts's many towers.

"There is a boy up there who has been thrust into an impossible predicament," Dumbledore said. "And as the last embers of my life slowly fade away it is my duty, and my honour, to help him. Will you join me, Harry? Will you help me come to young Draco's aid?"

Harry could not speak. He felt desperate, wishing for some way to help convince Dumbledore not to go. But he was right. Dumbledore was dying either way. And Malfoy needed help.

Slowly Harry nodded.

Dumbledore let out a smile, and Harry was caught by surprise by the sheer look of pride that shone from his eyes.

"You're a good man, Harry," he said. "A better man than I have ever been. Your parents would be exceptionally proud if they could see you now."

Harry sniffed. He looked away, trying to keep his emotions under control, and Dumbledore let him, waiting for him to regain his composure.

"Now, if you would kindly return your Pokémon," said Dumbledore, "and help me aboard Dragonite's back. I'm afraid I am not strong enough to do so myself."

Harry did as he was asked, Charizard and Pikachu disappearing in a flash of red light, and he walked over with shaky steps to help his old headmaster climb upon Dragonite's back. Dumbledore struggled, and Harry felt awful for the way he had to push him up, but once on Dragonite's back Dumbledore reached forward and tried to steady himself. But he slipped and Harry was forced to catch him quickly as he threatened to slide off Dragonite's neck.

"Oh dear," Dumbledore muttered weakly, panting heavily. "It appears as though I am not strong enough."

"Can't you teleport, sir?" Harry asked concernedly. Dumbledore subtly shook his head.

"The ambush, Harry," he whispered. "They must see me coming. That is how… they spring the trap." Dumbledore began to cough and Harry stepped back in concern. Dragonite turned his head worriedly to stare at his trainer.

"It seems clear I cannot go alone," Dumbledore murmured as his coughs finally abated. "I will need your help, Harry. Please, ride with me."

It pained Harry to see Dumbledore like this.

"Of course, sir," he said, and, after a moment's indecision, he started to pull himself behind Dumbledore on Dragonite's back.

"Alakazam will hide you when we get there," Dumbledore told him as he got into position. The psychic type suddenly disappeared from view. "Gently now, Dragonite."

Dragonite gave a soft croon before he rose gently into the air, keeping to his trainer's instruction as best he could. As they soared through the sky, Harry holding Dumbledore's slim frame securely in front of him, he couldn't help but feel like Dumbledore's Pokémon knew full well that this was the last they'd see of him.

They reached the castle in deceptively little time, Dragonite somehow able to fulfil Dumbledore's instructions and still fly at good speed, and he gently alighted on the tallest tower and waited patiently for Harry and Dumbledore to slide from his back.

"Thank you, Dragonite," Dumbledore said tiredly, gently stroking the winged beast's side as it was the furthest he could reach. "It has been a wonderful ride." Dragonite looked down tearfully at his trainer before he disappeared in a flash of red light.

"Now, step away, Harry," Dumbledore instructed, leaning heavily against the parapet. "And no matter what, do not get involved."

Harry stepped back shakily, Alakazam appearing suddenly at his side, and he watched Dumbledore slump against the wall. Dumbledore kept Harry's gaze all the way, crystalline blue meeting emerald green, and the moment Alakazam's shield dropped into place became clear as Dumbledore lost track of his gaze. Imperceptibly his expression shifted, his eyes darkened, and he turned his gaze towards the door of the tower.

It burst open.

"Got him!" Draco shouted triumphantly, a look of false bravado and glee pasted across his face which faltered upon spotting the headmaster. His face paled, even as he fought to maintain a sneer, and he stepped onto the tower with shaking steps.

His companions were not so forced.

"Aha!" Cried an unpleasant looking man, wheezing heavily as though he'd just run up several flights of stairs. "The great Albus Dumbledore. Not so great at the moment, though, is he."

"Amycus," Dumbledore greeted politely, somehow managing to inject warmth into his voice even as he slumped further down the wall. "A delight to see you. And of course, your sister, Alecto." He nodded ever so slightly to the equally short and unpleasant looking woman at Amycus's side. "Although I could do without Madam LeStrange for company."

Bellatrix smirked at him, her grin that of a Cheshire Cat. "Oh, how mean," she pouted. "And here I thought you were accepting of all. Am I really so unwelcome?"

Despite the fact that Harry and Alakazam stood in plain view none of the Death Eaters noticed their presence. Alakazam's shields were strong.

Alecto peered down at Dumbledore curiously.

"Ay," she muttered. "Wha's wrong with 'im? Looks like he's been through the 'ringer. Wha's been goin' on, Draco?"

"I don't know," Draco said shortly. "He appeared healthy earlier."

"I do admit I am an incredible actor," Dumbledore murmured softly.

"Ain't humble, though," Amycus muttered.

"Maybe," Dumbledore agreed. "But honest, I am."

Silence fell over the tower.

"Well," Bellatrix snapped. Her good humour disappeared in a flash. "We got him, Draco, as planned. Now kill him."

"How?" Malfoy asked. Beneath the act and the terror there was the simple fact that Draco Malfoy didn't know how to kill anyone. He was just a boy.

"Doesn't matter, Draco," crooned Bellatrix, clearly misinterpreting and concluding he was asking for options. "Any way you like. Strangle him. Kick him to death, he'd probably shatter like a broken vase. Or you could stab him. I've got a knife with his name on it if you want to slit his throat."

Malfoy swallowed. His face was white as a sheet, sweat built up on his forehead, and suddenly Harry found himself doubting if Malfoy was going to be able to do this at all.

Sudden footsteps reached their ears.

"Who's tha'?" Amycus muttered dumbly. Bellatrix hissed at him to be quiet, knife in her hand as she turned back to the door.

All eyes watched the door as the steps came steadily closer before it burst open…

… and Severus Snape stepped out onto the tower.

"Snape," said Amycus. He sounded relieved. "Wha' ya doin' here? I didn't think ya were involved in all o' this."

"You'll find there are few things that happen in this castle without my notice, Carrow," Snape said coolly, stepping past Bellatrix as though she weren't even there. "And as for Draco's mission I have been aware of it for some time."

"Then why didn't ya offer to help?" Asked Amycus. "We could 'ave used someone on the inside."

"I did," said Snape simply. "Draco refused to accept it. Though I'm glad things seem to have worked out."

Bellatrix scoffed behind him. She clearly didn't believe a word of it.

Amycus and Alecto, on the other hand, seemed convinced.

"Yeah, definitely lucky," Amycus agreed. "But Draco pulled through, jus' like his father he's a true Death Eater." Though no one seemed to notice Draco looked far from pleased.

"We were havin' a bit of a quandary," Alecto spoke up. "Yer in good with Dumbledore. Wha's tha' all about." She gestured to where Dumbledore lay.

Snape stepped forward, surveying Dumbledore coolly, and even as he watched Dumbledore seemed to slip further down the parapet.

"No idea," he murmured. "Although… I'm sure you've heard of his altercation with Nagini."

"Ain't tha' so," barked Amycus gleefully. "An' look at his hand. Right dead an' all."

"Indeed," Snape muttered. "It appears he's kept the true extent of his injury a secret from us all."

"Even you," Bellatrix spat. "The so called spy, Dumbledore's trusted advisor, and you weren't told. Oh, that's a good look." Snape ignored her.

"Severus," Dumbledore spoke up, his voice faint, and everyone's attention turned to him, waiting for him to speak. "I didn't wish… to worry you."

Snape sneered.

"Still believing in my loyalty until the bitter end," he said, looking down on Dumbledore coldly. "Why am I not surprised." He turned to Draco.

"You've done well," he said shortly. "Your mother will be glad." Malfoy looked up at him, seeming to take comfort in his words. His posture straightened.

"Yes, yes, Draco did well," Bellatrix snapped. "But let's not get distracted from why we're all here. We've got Dumbledore, alone, and our instructions were clear."

"Yes, they were," Snape agreed calmly. "Kill Dumbledore."

"Draco kills Dumbledore," Bellatrix snapped. "Not you, Snape, so butt out. Now Draco, it's time. Do it."

"There is no need," said Snape, before Draco could even respond. "Have you not been paying attention." Bellatrix scowled.

"What?" She snapped. In answer Snape simply stepped aside, turning back to where Dumbledore lay.

The aged Headmaster had gone still. His breathing had stopped. His crystalline blue eyes stared blankly up at the night sky.

"Is he…" Amycus wondered, creeping forward cautiously. "Dead?"

Snape moved towards him, kneeling down beside Dumbledore's form to check his pulse, and then stood up.

"Yes."

"Haha!" Alecto cried and it was as though a vow of silence had been lifted. "Dead! Dead as a dodo!"

"Not goin' to be lecturin' anyone anymore, is he," Amycus smirked, giving out a hoot.

"No, brother," Alecto grinned. "Not anymore, the useless swine!" And she spat on Dumbledore's body.

Rage rose within Harry, white hot and deadly, and not listening to reason he reached for his Pokéballs. Alakazam was quicker. His eyes glowed red.

"Alecto!" Amycus shouted, rushing over in panic to the edge of the tower as Alecto Carrow was sent flying off it, her screams filling the night air as she plummeted towards the ground until they came to a very sudden stop. "Alecto!"

"Let's go!" Snape barked, pushing Malfoy towards the exit, the blond boy willingly following his professor's orders.

"Alecto!" Amycus continued to yell, even though it was obviously too late, and he was jerked roughly from his spot on the tower as Snape dragged him to the door too.

Snape looked back at Bellatrix. "Leave! We've done what we came here to do!"

"No, no. Let's have some fun," Bellatrix jeered. "Let's stay and fight. Come on, big boy, why not show me your pretty face." Alakazam blasted a beam of psychic energy her way, Bellatrix dodging instinctively, and she shrieked with laughter.

"Come on!" Snape shouted and he pushed her forcefully through the doorway, glancing back one final time before he slammed the door shut behind him.

Alone once more Harry stepped from his hiding spot, watching the door the Death Eaters had left through. With a heavy heart he silently approached where his headmaster's body lay.

He looked peaceful, Harry noticed, even though his hair was soaked and matted, evidence of the night's misadventures, and his right hand was barely recognisable. Staring at it Harry wondered if that sacrificial act, sacrificing his hand to grab the Splash Plate, had been a calculated manoeuvre from the start. It had most assuredly sped up his death, maybe he had done it with the thought it would spare Malfoy from having to kill him. It seemed like a very Dumbledore thing to do.

Sounds of commotion downstairs caught Harry's attention and he turned to the closed door of the tower. It seemed like the Death Eaters had crossed paths with the Legion of Ho-oh members that were guarding the school.

With a heavy heart Harry left Dumbledore behind, comforted at least in the knowledge that Alakazam would not allow anything to happen to his body, and opened the door. Dumbledore was the past now. It was time for Harry to stand on his own two feet.

He descended the stairs, following the route he knew the Death Eaters must have taken to get there. They needed to return to the room Draco's Alakazam could teleport from so it was a certainty that he was on the right track.

On his way Harry found evidence of a recent battle, a few broken windows scattering the hallways with the occasional damaged wall or destroyed lamp dotted along the way. They had moved on though. The Death Eaters weren't hanging around.

He continued further along the corridors until he could make out the sound of voices. There was McGonagall, and Flitwick, and Moody, and Sprout, and Tonks, all yelling at each other, confused. Harry thought he knew why.

He reached the room that Malfoy had been working in so religiously all year and found what he'd expected. The desks were shoved aside, evidence of intruders who did not care about the evidence they might leave behind, and as Harry walked into the room further he saw something that had most certainly not been there before.

Bellatrix's knife, the one she had claimed had Dumbledore's name on it, was sat speared into one of the desks, left behind as a message for those who would find it.

The Death Eaters had gone, and Harry's war had truly begun.

* * *

 **A/N:** That is it for this chapter, thanks for reading.

We have two chapters left after this and since it was asked for at the end of Legion of Ho-oh I'm going to be doing a summary of all the Pokemon characters have at the end of the last chapter. If there's a character you want me to have in the list then please let me know before the chapter is uploaded, which should be this time next week.

If you've enjoyed please Review and follow me on Twitter for more updates.


	36. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The news of Dumbledore's death shocked an entire nation. Even though he was old, even though his injured hand had been well publicised, no one, except for those few in the know, had expected the news that came late that May night. And the story was even worse.

Harry hadn't had to say anything in order to help Malfoy's cover. It quickly became apparent that he had something to do with Dumbledore's death, what with the fact that he mysteriously disappeared the same night. What with that and the Professors accounts of coming across him and the other Death Eaters, including Snape, Harry realised it was best for him to remain quiet. After all, it would look suspicious if he seemed to know too much. As far as anyone was aware Dumbledore had been alone on that tower.

A funeral was arranged for a few days time, long enough for anyone who wanted to attend to arrange travel up to Hogwarts. Naturally all the students were invited, from the first years through to the seventh years, and they all wanted to pay their respects. Even those who might privately be glad Dumbledore was gone knew better than to say so openly.

But not everyone would have the chance to be there. With the Headmaster gone, killed on school grounds, there had been an influx of worried and anxious parents who no longer felt safe leaving their children at Hogwarts and insisted that they be returned home immediately. By lunchtime of the very next day Hannah Abbott had left the school, the Patil twins disappearing not long after. Seamus and his mother got into a yelling match in the Entrance Hall as Seamus steadfastly refused to leave until after Dumbledore's funeral.

Though Harry was on Seamus's side he understood the worry that drew the parents to Hogwarts. Without Dumbledore the world seemed just that much darker a place to live in. Without Dumbledore Hogwarts just didn't feel the same.

The morning of the funeral was a bright one, almost as though nature itself was wishing to celebrate the life of one of the Pokémon world's greatest trainers. The atmosphere in the Great Hall was subdued as the students, those that were left, ate their breakfast, all dressed in their best clothes. Beneath the table Ginny held Harry's hand in hers, likely aware, just like he was, of what was to come.

The students finished breakfast and sat there in silence, waiting as their Head's of House gathered them together and led them, one house at a time, divided into their year groups, out onto the grounds.

The site of the funeral was by the Great Lake, and on a day like this it was stunningly picturesque. Row upon row of simple wooden seats was set up, many of them near the back already taken up by members of the public, some looking heartbroken, others less so and doing varyingly good jobs of pretending.

Harry watched as Cornelius Fudge, former Minister for Pokémon, took his seat beside Amelia Bones, not at the front where you might expect someone of his stature, but near the back. He looked genuinely solemn.

Meanwhile Rita Skeeter looked as though she could have been reporting on a Quidditch match for all the emotion she was showing. She had a notebook open, familiar ostentatious pen in hand, and was already scribbling away like crazy. But even she had nothing on Delores Umbridge. Harry was surprised she'd even dared show up, but she was sitting there, a Skitty sitting in her lap, looking entirely too pleased with the situation.

Professor McGonagall led them down to the front. There they were met by the quivering form of Hagrid.

"Is everything set, Rubeus?" McGonagall asked, her voice tired. The last few days had taken a toll on her. Never before would she refer to a fellow Professor by their first name in front of the students.

Hagrid blew his nose.

"Yes, Minerva," he said, letting out a small hiccup, large dollops dripping from his eyes as he dapped them, not even noticing he was using the same handkerchief he'd been using to clean his nose. "All set."

McGonagall nodded. Gently she rested a hand on Hagrid's massive arm.

Hagrid walked off, wiping his face and nearly bowling over a few unfortunate guests he did not spot in time.

McGonagall turned to the students.

"Everyone, take your seats," she instructed, her usual strict tone missing. But no one was going to cause trouble today. They filed into their seats silently, keeping their heads bowed as they went.

As Harry sat down, Hermione on his left, Ginny slipped into the seat beside him and, again, inconspicuously took his hand. He squeezed it, silently conveying he was grateful for her support, but he kept his gaze fixed onwards.

Slowly the crowd began to grow. The students were all in their seats, sitting abnormally still, as the last of the general public wandered in, and, at last, the minister walked to the front.

Everyone fell silent.

"Please rise," the wizened man spoke, gesturing down the aisle between the chairs, and as one everyone rose to their feet.

Dumbledore's coffin moved slowly down the aisle, carried along with emotional reverence by the few men who had been chosen for the task. Moody stood at the front, glaring at anyone who looked at him with even more aggression than usual, Murk the Murkrow bowing his head in sorrow on his shoulder.

Opposite Moody walked Remus, looking even older than usual. This couldn't be the first time he'd walked a coffin down the aisle. He looked painfully aware of it.

Behind them strode an old, short little man who Harry did not recognise, having to hold his arms awkwardly high to keep up with the others, and Horace Slughorn, whose jowls quivered as he walked tearfully down the aisle.

And behind them stood Hagrid, taking up the rear all by himself. He was weeping openly, not caring for the looks some at the back of the crowd were giving him, probably because he couldn't even see them. He held the coffin tenderly in his massive hands and when they finally got to the front he was the last to let go, walking off under the guidance of Remus and blowing his nose loudly.

The pallbearers took their seats at the front, Hagrid getting two chairs to support his bulk, but Professor Slughorn did not join them, instead remaining at the front with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout. The Heads of House stood there resolute, their partner Pokémon standing before them, Pyroar for McGonagall, Magnezone for Flitwick, and a Torterra for Sprout, with Slughorn representing Slytherin, his Grumpig looking just as devastated as he did.

The minister stepped forward.

"You may be seated," he told them, and there was a loud rustle as the hundreds who had gathered there that day sat down. "Thank you all for coming. We are here to celebrate the life, and mourn the tragic death, of one of the greatest men of our time. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, defeater of Gellert Grindlewald, lawmaker supreme for many years, and Headmaster of Hogwarts School for generation after generation."

A soft breeze brushed through the area, playfully caressing Harry's skin as the minister continued, listing achievement after achievement that Dumbledore had over the course of his long and interesting life, talking about the way he had influenced the Pokémon world for the good, and how he had touched so many lives. It felt sort of hollow. What were these achievements really in comparison to the kindness and compassion that Dumbledore had shown to all that were in need of it. Harry felt the story of Dumbledore using his death to help Draco Malfoy was so much more powerful than anything the minister was saying. Sure, he couldn't give that away, but there were so many other stories like that, the things that made Dumbledore the man everyone aspired to be like.

Harry turned his head, looking out over the Hogwarts lake instead, and he was surprised to notice the school of Lapras that had gathered by the water's edge, there to pay their respects to the great Headmaster. And even further out on the lake, barely noticeable as the sun gleamed off the water, was the Giant Tentacruel.

Looking around Harry realised they were not alone. The Zebstricka that pulled the carriages were watching too, as were a host of other Pokémon from the forest, Pokémon who, at some point in time, had crossed paths with Dumbledore and had, even in such short meetings, learned to respect him for exactly the qualities that Harry found himself pining after.

And there, barely visible through the trees, standing so still and silent only someone who was looking for them could find, was Arceus. It stood there, watching proceedings, and as it did the tiny form of the time travel Pokémon, Celebi, drifted into view. And there was Xerneas, life seeming to bloom around its form, and finally, sitting in a tree nearby, in full view of everyone, was Fawkes.

The minister had finished speaking. He called up the pallbearers once more and, together, they lifted Dumbledore's coffin and gently lowered it down into the ground.

A soft cry broke the quiet, Fawkes spreading his wings and taking off, and as Dumbledore's coffin fell to rest in the ground below the faithful Ho-oh flew off into the distance.

The ceremony was over. The guests at the back of the crowd started to leave. But Harry stayed, sat still even while the people around him began to depart. Slowly he stood up, approaching the burial place of Albus Dumbledore, and he looked over the patch of earth that covered his coffin.

"Harry?" Ginny approached him, keeping a step back so as to give him privacy, and Harry turned, looking back at the rows and rows of rapidly emptying seats, before he looked at her.

"Come with me," he murmured, gesturing her towards the bank of the lake, towards a point where the forest met the water. She followed, knowing what to expect. This was a conversation they had to have.

They walked a fair distance away from the burial sight, away from the voices of the few that remained, and stopped in the shade of a tree. Harry turned to her.

"I never expected to be in this sort of position," he told her, and he meant it. "To be in a point in my life where the most important person to me is someone other than myself. But what has happened between us, even though it has been short, I've loved every minute. I wish things didn't have to change."

"They don't," Ginny told him, though even she knew the argument was weak.

Harry turned away.

"I won't be coming back to Hogwarts next year," he told her. "I have something far more important to do and there is nothing left to keep me here. I hate to say this, but it may be a long time before we see each other again."

"Don't say that," Ginny told him. She shook her head. "If you act like that's the case then you won't be able to help it coming true."

"Exactly," Harry told her. "But the problem is that if I'm with you… I'm not doing what I'm meant to do. I can't come back here."

"Then take me with you," Ginny whispered. "What is there left for me to learn here that I will benefit from more than being by your side?" But Harry shook his head.

"I need you here," he told her. "I need you safe. I need to know that you are not in harms way because I need something to come back to if I have any hope of winning this war." He looked at her sadly. "I love you, Ginny."

Ginny sniffed, wiping swiftly the tears from her eyes, and let out a strangled laugh.

"You know how often I imagine you saying those words," she told him. She shook her head. "I never imagined them like this. But then, it makes sense. I couldn't have imagined anything of what being with you would be like. It's the sort of thing that's just too good, it's hard to let go."

"I know," Harry told her. "But we have to." He swallowed. "You need to be here, with the teachers, and the DA. They need you. They need someone to inspire them, to help them stick together in the face of what will come. They need you, just like I need you."

Ginny sniffed. "I know what you're saying Harry," she said. "I understand. I saw it coming. And I knew it'd end this way. But Harry, don't think because you're out there and I'm in here that I won't love you any less. If you really need something to come back to then I am there, every single time. And this isn't the end, Harry, not really. And when this is over, and it is just you and me and our futures to do with as we please, then you'll come to understand it the way I do."

"I look forward to it," Harry told her. His heart wrenched, hating that he could not picture the future Ginny spoke of himself. "Goodbye, Ginny."

Ginny looked uncertain. For a moment it looked as though she was going to lean forward and kiss him. But instead, wary of people watching, she simply reached out and squeezed his hand once, before she turned and walked away.

Harry watched her go, feeling his stomach churn as he thought about what he'd just given up. But that was just the way things were. A life with Ginny, however fantastic it may be, was something he could not have, not until Voldemort had been defeated.

As Harry turned his back, doing his best to collect himself before returning to the group, something glinted in the corner of his eye. He looked around, confused, and found what he was looking for, hidden away in the foliage at the base of a tree.

A time plant.

He pulled it out, looking at it in wonder, and as his fingers caressed the petals the shimmering blue light shifted within. What he could do with a time plant.

He placed it in his pocket.

"Hey." Ron and Hermione had approached him, each looking slightly awkward as they stopped a few feet away. They must have realised what his conversation with Ginny had been about.

Harry had no secrets from them anymore.

"Hey," he said softly. "I suppose you heard."

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Hermione told him desperately.

"Yeah mate, that sucks," Ron added awkwardly. Harry waved them away.

"It is what it is," he said, his voice tired. "An unfortunate side effect of this mess we find ourselves in." He sighed. "I suppose you've realised I'm not coming back here?"

"Well, yeah," Ron said. "It was kinda obvious, really."

"I've got to gather up the rest of the Arceus Plates," Harry told them. "I don't know where they are but that just means I can't waste time. As soon as I get back to the Dursleys I plan to sneak out and begin looking."

"Whoa, there, steady on," said Ron. "Have you forgotten?" Harry blinked. "Bill and Fleur's wedding. You have to be there for that."

"Indeed, and there's no reason to go off searching when you can spend the time with us, planning instead," Hermione told him. "That way we'll have a plan of attack, so we'll not just go out randomly."

Harry tried to fight a smile. "It sounds like you've decided to go with me."

Hermione and Ron looked at each other.

"Well, yeah, obviously," said Ron. "I mean, we do everything together. It'd be weird hanging around here without you."

"And there's a reason that Dumbledore told you to confide in us," Hermione reminded him. "He knew that you needed our help, and that we want to help."

"Are you really sure about this?" Harry asked, looking between them. "It'll be really dangerous. Getting the Splash Plate basically killed Dumbledore. I nearly didn't manage to escape myself."

"Which is all the more reason for us to be there with you," Hermione told him. "With the three of us we have a much better chance of gathering up the rest of the Arceus Plates and making Voldemort mortal once more."

"Yeah, without us you'll have a lot tougher time making Voldemort mortal," Ron agreed brashly. Harry smiled.

"Enjoying saying the word Voldemort now, aren't you," he said. Ron grinned.

"I can't help it, it's strangely liberating," he admitted.

"It really is," agreed Hermione.

Their smiles slowly faded.

"We should get back up to the castle," Hermione told them. "The Hogwarts Express leaves tomorrow, that doesn't give a lot of time to pack."

"As if you're not fully packed already," Ron joked. Hermione playfully hit his arm.

"You two go on ahead," Harry told them. "I've got something I have to do first." He reached into his pocket and ever so slightly pulled it open to see.

The Arceus Plate sat there. It was a lot darker now that it wasn't exposed to water, but Harry doubted that was natural. Spidery black lines spindled across the surface, evidence, if there ever needed to be, of Voldemort's corruption.

A/N: That's all for this chapter. If you enjoyed it then please leave a Review and follow me on Twitter for more updates.

The next chapter will be the last of Serpent's Secret so until then I'll see you later.


	37. Moving Forward

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokémon, which belong to the Pokémon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.

I thank both Rowling and the Pokémon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.

* * *

The forest was peaceful and quiet. There was not a sound to disturb the calm of the scenery. It almost seemed as though the forest itself was mourning their loss.

Harry walked through with quiet confidence, deeper into the forest than anyone else would dare go. But on a day like this he had no fear of being attacked. The sun shone through the trees, the flying Pokémon chirped, and everything stayed just so perfectly still that it felt as though time itself had frozen in place.

Harry didn't come across a single Pokémon, not until he reached his goal.

Arceus stood there, as though he had expected Harry to come, and Harry was not surprised. He walked forward without fear, stopping just far enough away to look comfortably up at Arceus's face, and he fell still.

"You have come," Arceus murmured. Harry nodded.

The clearing was very still.

"I am… sorry, for your loss," Arceus told him, its voice sounding heavy, and Arceus bowed its head. "Albus Dumbledore… was a man I could admire. He has always tried to help me, and has never asked for anything in return."

"But to help him with Voldemort," Harry finished. Slowly Arceus nodded.

"A common goal," it told him. "I requested his aid in the beginning. For our own reasons we wanted the one they call the Dark Lord defeated. The Pokémon world is truly worse off now that Dumbledore is gone."

Harry nodded in agreement. It was true. It was a truth so apparent that it was barely worth mentioning but out of respect for everything Dumbledore had strived for.

"His mission is mine now," Harry spoke. Arceus stared at him. "He led the fight against Voldemort and now it's my turn. I will not be returning to school here at Hogwarts, but rather will go out into the countryside, searching for your Plates. That is where Dumbledore and I were the night he died." Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the Splash Plate.

"You found it," Arceus uttered. Its tone was even but Harry would be a fool not to notice the relief inside it. "I congratulate you."

"Congratulate Dumbledore," Harry told him. "I was merely a passenger on this trip." He held out the Plate. "But if I'm going to move forward then I must have this Plate cleansed. That's where you come in."

Arceus nodded.

"Lay the Plate before me," Arceus instructed and Harry did so, before taking a few steps back.

Arceus closed its eyes and took a breath. Energy seemed to build within it, not visible but most certainly there, and as it continued to build Arceus's eyes opened wide and its head tilted towards the sky.

"Judgement!" Arceus cried and a burning orb soared into the air, a stream of light streaking behind it. The orb rose high into the sky, becoming a mere speck of light, before it began to drop slowly down to the ground below.

The orb crashed into the Splash Plate, thundering down as if powered by a bolt of lightning. It slammed into the Plate, rattling it harshly as the Plate began to light up inside the powerful amber energy, and as it did so dark tendrils began to leak hauntingly into the air.

The attack ended with a slam, a shock wave blowing outwards and ruffling Harry's hair as the Splash Plate was forced roughly into the ground, where it lay, unmoving, as the energy faded.

It was, once again, a pure blue.

"The dark one's presence has been purged," Arceus uttered and as it did so the Splash Plate rose up into the air, floating off behind Arceus's form and disappearing from view. "Now there remain just six others. Find them, and return them to me."

Harry nodded.

"I will," he promised. "But there is one thing I need from you." Arceus inclined its head curiously.

"Go on."

"Once all the Plates have been cleansed," Harry said, "once you are no longer influenced by Voldemort's control, I need you to stand beside me and fight him."

Arceus considered Harry, looking down from nearly twice his height, its expression unclear.

"I do not dabble in the affairs of humans," Arceus spoke. "It is unfair of me, with the powers that I possess, to choose sides in your conflicts."

"But you've already chosen a side," Harry reminded. "You have helped Dumbledore and accepted his help in return, all in the pursuit of defeating Voldemort. I know you only wish to have your Plates returned but the fact of the matter is that Voldemort is your enemy. Not standing against him is just as bad as siding with him."

Arceus did not speak. It continued to look down on Harry in silence.

"I'm not going to use backhanded means to get you on my side," Harry told it, shaking his head. "I'm not going to bribe or blackmail. All I'm going to do is ask for your help. There are innocent lives at stake, that's why Dumbledore fought him so hard, and if that isn't enough for you to stand against Voldemort then nothing I say or do will change your mind."

"I agree," Arceus murmured. "But you and Dumbledore before you have earned my allegiance. I will fight with you, when the time comes. You have my word."

Harry breathed an unconscious sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"But understand that this does not mean I will fight for you beyond this," Arceus continued, voice firm. "I stand by what I said. For one such as me interference is unacceptable."

Harry accepted that. He never wanted Arceus as his to command, his Pokémon the way Charizard, Talonflame, Pikachu and Umbreon were. He had a simple goal, one the godly Pokémon shared, and that was all that mattered.

"I'll see you around," Harry said, moving backwards away from the behemoth.

"I look forward to it," said Arceus. "Good luck, Harry Potter."

Harry left the clearing behind him, beginning his trek back towards the castle where Ron and Hermione waited. He felt oddly lighter now that the Splash Plate was out of his possession. Just having it in his pocket, knowing that it carried a part of Voldemort's essence, weighed heavily on his mind.

Now, one step on his route to finishing Voldemort for good, he found himself feeling oddly optimistic. He had no belief that this task would be anything but challenging, impossible even, but there was just something about making progress, moving forward, that made you start to believe that anything is possible.

Wandering through the forest, passing a sign indicating he'd entered an area where trainer's in sixth year or higher were allowed to wander, Harry found himself brought to a halt. For a moment he wondered, unsure as to what had caused him to pause, but it only took a moment before he realised.

He turned around.

On the path behind him, no more than a dozen feet away, stood Greninja. He wasn't trying to hide, like he had done on all previous occurrences of their meetings. He stood up straight, standing at full height and meeting Harry at eye level.

Harry felt a small smile cross his face.

"How could I forget," he commented. Greninja and he had a destiny, so Arceus had said. It appeared that now, the crossroad moment of Harry's journey, was when it would come together.

"I'm sure you know what I've got to do," Harry told him. "You know Arceus. I've got to leave here, search the land, far and wide, and bring back the Arceus Plates. It's going to be difficult, near impossible even, but it is what I have to do."

He paused, looking at Greninja as the Pokémon stared blankly back at him. But he knew what was going on beneath the surface, knew where Greninja's line of thinking was taking him, and that was where Harry was right now.

"I'm going to need all the help I can get," he told him, meeting his eyes and not looking away. "I'll need Pokémon by my side who are strong, fast, and are ready to do anything to bring down Voldemort. I have some already, and trust me, they are strong and they are motivated, but if I'm going to succeed I need more."

"So what do you say?" Harry asked. "Will you help me?" He held out his hand.

Greninja stood there, completely still, not reacting to Harry's offer, but Harry did not panic. He kept his hand out, waiting patiently, for he knew that he and Greninja were on the same page.

Greninja shifted slightly, losing his stiff posture for a moment, and Harry could practically see the cogs turning. There was hesitation, Greninja's movements jerky as he was pulled between his two options, but then he stepped forward, joining Harry where he stood, and grasped his hand.

"Welcome to the team," Harry told him. Greninja nodded.

* * *

The school term came to an end. The students, trunks packed and ready, crossed the grounds in the Zebstricka pulled carriages and boarded the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmeade Station, many wondering if it would be their last time. Without Dumbledore, who knew what would happen.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny quietly grabbed a compartment to themselves, and were quickly joined by Neville and Luna. There was not much to be said, an understanding between the six of them that left words unnecessary, and they travelled down to London in mostly silence.

Sitting in his seat by the window Harry looked out on them.

Neville and Luna sat nearest the door, the last two to join the compartment. How those two had grown since Harry had first met them. For Neville the change was extraordinary, the shy boy, consistently scared of everything and everyone, sat with his back straight, proud and full of confidence, a strong trainer and a man worthy of the sacrifice his parents had made for him.

For Luna the change was a lot more subtle, as she remained, on the outside, the same dreamy, carefree girl she had been since her first day at Hogwarts. But she too had grown, grown to find acceptance in herself that was, in the beginning, more of an act than a belief. But in the last few years she had found people who liked her for who she was, found a home within the DA, and she was all the better for it.

Across from Harry sat Ron and Hermione. His ever present companions, his rock for some of the toughest moments of his life, they had always been there for him, and promised they always would. But now they'd found that in each other. Even as Harry watched Hermione's head dropped onto Ron's shoulder and he turned his head slightly, leaning in to her unmanageable curls.

Beside Harry sat Ginny, and despite their close proximity, their arms basically touching, Harry refrained from reaching for her hand. He may want to feel her touch, especially with so much time spent away from her spreading out before him, but for that very reason he knew he shouldn't. The more he indulged in the comfort and the warmth she provided the harder it would be without her.

Instead his hand fell to his belt, and the Pokéballs that lay there, Greninja now taking his place on Harry's team. The Pokémon there, who had been with him in some cases since the very beginning of his Pokémon journey, were as much his family as anyone could be. They were kind, and generous, and most importantly for the trials ahead strong and determined. And with Charizard's ability to Mega Evolve he always had an ace up his sleeve.

That was something that Ron and Hermione had the chance to make use of too. Each of them had Key Stones, gifted to them from their parents, and Pokémon that could Mega Evolve, now that Hermione had added Absol to her team, but what was lacking was the Mega Stone to make it happen.

Even so, they were powerful enough on their own. What with Arcanine and Noctowl, Blastoise and Mismagius, Torkoal and Buizel, Pidgeot and Meowstic, Machamp and Flygon, and Metang and Absol, they had more than enough strength on their side. And they would need every ounce of it in the times ahead.

They pulled into King's Cross Station, the platform filled with anxious family members, and they disembarked, readying themselves to say goodbye.

"I'll keep training as much as I can," Neville told him as he spotted his Gran in the crowd. "I'm sure it's only a matter of time until Pupitar evolves. Anything that can help out the resistance."

It pained Harry that it had come to that, schoolchildren preparing for war, but if he was honest with himself then he'd admit he felt better knowing Neville was willing to fight.

Neville left them, striding confidently into the crowd, and Luna soon followed, hugging each of them goodbye.

That left Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny to face the combined Weasley-Granger gathering.

"See you soon, Harry," Hermione told him as she prepared to leave, a knowing look passing between them. Harry nodded.

"Yep. See you later, mate," said Ron, clapping him on the shoulder. Ginny just sent him a look. He more than understood.

"Bye," he told them, watching them go with a heavy heart as he waited behind, Remus and Mad-Eye standing by him.

"Come on then," Mad-Eye grunted, giving Harry a nudge so he'd start moving, glaring around the platform with his trademark suspicion. "Let's get you out of here."

He took him to his beaten up old Volkswagen, the three of them stuffing themselves inside, and as Harry watched London disappear behind him, Surrey on the horizon, he silently set himself for what was to come.

The war had only just begun.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that is it for Harry Potter and the Serpent's Secret. I hope you have enjoyed this addition to the series and please let me know what you think in the Reviews.

As I promised I will have a list of the Pokemon each character has, although the chapter itself does sum up quite nicely for the trio.

Harry: _Charizard X, Talonflame, Pikachu, Umbreon, Greninja_

Ron: _Arcanine, Blastoise, Torkoal, Pidgeot, Machamp, Metang_

Hermione: _Noctowl, Mismagius, Buizel, Meowstic, Flygon, Absol_

Neville: _Venusaur, Toxicroak, Scizor, Samurott, Pupitar_

Ginny: _Ninetales, Gengar, Meganium_

Luna: _Espeon, Musharna, Exploud_

Draco: _Serperior, Honchkrow, Alakazam, Weavile, Bisharp_

Dumbledore (RIP): _Alakazam, Sorting Xatu, Ho-oh (Fawkes), Dragonite, Gryffindor's Aegislash, Chimecho, Riolu_

I will be taking a two week break before beginning uploading for the seventh and final instalment of this series: Harry Potter and the Arceus Plates.

In the meantime here's a sneak peak of the first chapter.

 _Chapter 1: Closing In_

 _On the night of the 28th July the street of Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey, was quiet. That was not unusual. It was a nice, normal neighbourhood, after all. Nothing weird ever happened there._

 _Up in the smallest bedroom of one of the houses on this street, number four, sat a boy named Harry Potter, a book in his lap and a furrow in his brow. He turned the page, the paper feeling crisp and heavy in his fingers, and let out a sigh._

 _The book he was reading was no ordinary book. It was a book of legends. Entitled 'Gods on Earth' the book, gifted to Harry by his late Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was the world's most comprehensive guide to Legendary Pokémon. Though large and filled with minuscule text, however, it still held very little information. Most of what was known was basic, the rest nothing but guesswork._

 _Over the summer Harry had taken to reading 'Gods on Earth' at every available opportunity, and he had plenty. His relatives, the Dursleys, did not care for Harry or want anything to do with his 'unnaturalness' and likewise Harry didn't want anything to do with them. As a result he spent the vast majority of his time locked away in his bedroom, whiling away the hours as he waited for his birthday, July 31st, when he would finally be allowed to leave._

 _The doorbell rang._


End file.
